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President's Blog
"I Love Wegmans..."
…said a friend of mine at a recent dinner. We were talking about strong brands and as he is the VP of Marketing of one the largest health information networks, I respect his opinions on the matter. When people talk about Wegmans their eyes light up. Why is this? It’s because the BRAND is so strong! Highly recognizable, evokes strong, positive emotions and consistency that permeates the organizations. Customers know what they’re going to get when they walk in the door, an uncompromising experience that lasts well beyond the store visit.
The greatest companies don’t just talk up a good story, they walk it. It’s the actions of these top brands that build a reputation and experience that customers come to value. There’s an essence to brands, branding and brand value – the greatest companies ‘walk the walk’.
I had the privilege of working with Wegmans in my capacity of VP of Global Product Management at arcplan, Inc and one of the greatest things I learned was how committed Wegmans is to the experience – for customers, partners, suppliers and employees. They appear to do as much internally to build the brand as they do externally. Case in point, so that Wegmans understands the day to day challenges of their suppliers, they embark upon projects and programs internally that enable key Wegmans people to learn what it takes to be a supplier, thereby making Wegmans a better partner and more responsive to their partners’ needs.
Let’s look at a few other brands. A recent Interbrand study identified the top B2B and B2C brands for 2009:
- Coca-Cola
- IBM
- Microsoft
- GE
- Nokia
- McDonald’s
- Toyota
- Intel
- Disney
- HP
- Mercedes
- Gillette
- Cisco
- BMW
- Louis Vuitton
- Marlboro
- Samsung
- Honda
- Apple
Do you agree with this list? What does it mean to be on this list? Can you truly generate sales through a greater emphasis on your brand? Can you increase ASP because your brand supports the greater perception of value? If not, then how do you explain companies like Wegmans, Apple and Disney?
What are your favorites brands and why? Let me know at president@amaphilly.org
All the best,
Craig Barton
President
Philadelphia Chapter
American Marketing Association
president@amaphilly.org