alstin communications

I went to see the movie “The Hangover” before all of the hubbub. Before it became the highest grossing comedy of all time. Before people said it was the funniest movie ever. My expectations weren’t high, in fact, they weren’t even established. I hadn’t heard much about it. During the movie I remember laughing out loud in the theater – something I rarely do. I left thinking that it was one of the funniest movies I had ever seen. A very pleasant surprise. My friend, on the other hand, didn’t get to see the movie early on. She saw it several months into its run – after all of the buzz, kudos, and word-of-mouth. She liked it well enough. She just didn’t get what all of the fuss was about. The difference? Expectations.

We’ve all had similar experiences. While personal tastes largely determine our likes and dislikes, expectations can also play a tremendous role in our reactions and responses. The implications for branding, and especially for employment branding, are far-reaching. The disappointment of a brand underperforming is likely to result in a more negative response than a brand fulfilling even low expectations. The trick with branding is promising something that you can actually deliver.

As Walter Landor, the oft-quoted father of branding, said “Simply put, a brand is a promise . . . ” If your brand doesn’t match what you deliver, you’re breaking that implied promise.

When we work with a client to help shape their employment brand, we’re looking to discover their UVP – or Unique Value Proposition. What makes them special? What can they offer that no one else can? If we are successful, the employment brand we develop will accurately reflect the environment, culture, and opportunities that they offer. This doesn’t just result in more appealing and effective ads – although that’s a nice byproduct. More importantly, it results in better suited hires. The candidates that they attract are the individuals who are actually looking for what they have to offer. It’s a win win. An employment brand isn’t about inflating who you are as an employer, it’s about accurately reflecting it. And that’s a promise you can keep.

Author Bio:  Patricia Cara, our Vice President of Creative Services, has an eye for design no doubt honed by years of painting, photography, cooking (and school-projects). Every AE's go-to goddess at deadline time, Patty, with Alstin for more than 24 years, keeps it real with impromptu office dance parties and the latest iPhone apps.

This entry was posted on Thursday, February 11th, 2010 at 4:56 pm and is filed under The Daily Update. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.