July 12, 2013
Unique Aspects of the Brand
Previous
Branding Updates have addressed common elements of the utility brand. However,
each agency will have aspects of the brand that are somewhat unique. The unique
elements will depend on the specific roles of the utility (its mission) and the
distinctive aspects of the community the utility serves. For example, a
wastewater utility that serves a small affluent community in the mountains with
a pristine watershed will have a different brand than the city of Chicago. The
smaller utility in the mountains will likely need to have a very strong
environmental ethic, resulting in high standards for preventing sewer overflows
and ensuring that water discharged into the river is high quality. A sewer
overflow is bad anywhere, but it will arguably be viewed differently in Chicago
than in Vail, Colorado. And the political issues facing as a large municipal
utility are clearly different than the challenges in a small town. These unique
qualities and roles must be considered when defining the brand.
Branding
Applies to Small Utilities - As noted above, a distinctive quality of a
utility is its size. Some may argue that a small utility cannot implement
branding because they do not have the financial resources to fund a large
outreach program or to even have a full-time communications person. It pays to
remember that branding is not just about what you say, but who you are.
Utilities, big and small, are being branded due to their customer service,
policy decisions, and the way they interact with their communities. This is true
whether or not the utility is "advertising" and independent of how many
communication people are on staff. Utilities that serve small communities are
not exempt from the challenge of building trust with the influential public and
securing appropriate investment. In fact, branding may be more applicable in
small communities because of the intimate nature of the relationships. Sewer
spills can make the front page of the newspaper. A person can call and ask for
the general manager of the utility and actually get to talk with him or her.
Because of this intimacy, the brand (especially the personal characteristics of
the staff) is very important in a small community.
No comments:
Post a Comment