People still perceive rebranding as a logo, a design, or a color change that makes the visual more beautiful. After they change the visual, they only need to communicate the change to the market by using flyers, posters and other promotional material.

In some cases, we see growth and success in the market. However, it does not work for all cases. In fact, the majority of the brands that only change their visual parts do not have a happy ending, because they only change the skin, not the soul of the brand. The visual does not speak to the market. The brand does not deliver any unique experiences to the customer. As a result, the customers do not feel any change in the rebranding process.

However, some brand owners assume the problem is in how they advertise or promote the brand, and they spend more money to fix it. What is the result? Still no brand loyalty; the customer still cannot pinpoint the brand identity and unique features that communicate all over the time. They are trapped in a world of similarity.

This is a symptom that I would like to call the “Silent Brand”. This is when the brand does not stand for anything in the customer’s mind. They are “silent” because the customer cannot hear their voice or feel their presence in the middle of fierce competition in the market.

There are some general reasons why Silent Brand symptoms attack a business. It happens when the brand is forced to change or die, due to increasingly fierce competition. They do not know how to solve the problem and throw anything at it they can.

The worst case is when brand owners do not believe in their own brand. They do not appreciate their brand as they appreciate their office, factory, flashy car, iPad and other business assets. They think their brand is complementary to their business. As a result, the Brand does not have any equity in the market.

What should brand owners do in order to cure this disease? What do we do to enable the brand to speak and establish an emotional connection with the market?

Breaking the silence

Let’s have a story about Apple. Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne established Apple in 1976, but conflict between Steve Jobs and the Apple directors meant Steve to left the company in 1985 and founded NeXT Computer in the same year. What happened next? NeXT Computer becomes a bug success. NeXT software becomes the base of Mac iOS. In 1996, Mac decides to acquire NeXT, and appoints Steve Jobs as the new CEO of Apple. Apple becomes one of the biggest companies in the world through the development of the iMac, iPod, iPad, and iPhone. Steve Jobs becomes one of the top CEOs and innovators in the world.

A powerful brand always starts with the brand owner. A powerful brand should have the owner’s vision and the owner’s personality. The owner’s DNA should be manifest in the brand. The brand is unique because the thoughts and aspirations of the owner are unique.

Like Steve Jobs with Apple & NeXT, Steve Jobs passion and aspiration shone through the products, communications, and innovations that differentiated the companies from their competitors.

This created an emotional bond between Apple and its customers.

With the owner’s DNA, a brand will have a personality to show to stakeholders, internally and externally. This can convey an authentic experience to the customer. It will enable the brand to establish its identity in the market, make the customer believe, not only on the products, services, and other tangible things, but in the brand itself.

A strong brand will become a beacon for employees, management, directors and other internal stakeholders, giving clear direction that will enable the company to survive amid competition.

In conclusion, Silent Brand is not incurable, but it needs commitment from the owner to make the brand live. It needs consistent effort to ensure the brand speaks its identity in the market.

Ryandwana P.F is brand consultant at DM IDHOLLAND and Daniel Surya is its chairman and president for Southeast Asia.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2013/03/16/breaking-silence-theory-and-practice.html