Reputations are the new Brand

            In class, we talked a lot about the importance of branding for companies. We discussed how it’s not just a product that they are selling, but really it’s a lifestyle. They try to make the customer think that they are participating in something bigger when they buy their product: that the customer becomes apart of the “insert-company-name-here” family.

            Let’s look at Starbucks for example. Starbucks definitely sells more than just coffee. They are selling you an idea of being apart of a large group of people who are hip, successful, and trying to change the world. Starbucks engages in a lot of philanthropic organizations, so we think that if we buy Starbucks coffee, we’re supporting these types of causes. Also, Starbucks is seen as something of a “higher end” product. Celebrities, movie stars, film producers, and the wealth always seem to have a Starbucks cup in their hand. If we buy Starbucks coffee maybe we can feel famous for a little bit. If you really dissect what you see around you when you’re in a Starbucks, some of these ideas are pretty obvious.

            Starbucks isn’t the only guilty one. Almost all companies use branding as a way to create a “culture” related to their product.

            But there is a contrasting opinion out there. This month, I went and saw John Graham speak. John Graham is one of the founders of a very successful Public Relations company, Fleishman-Hillard. In his speech he mentioned that he noticed a trend of companies focusing more on their reputation as opposed to their brand. This really got me thinking.

            I think that people may eventually pick up on the fact that they are buying into more than products with big name companies. They will notice this and then think to themselves, “Wait a minute. I don’t want to support big-wig corporate stuff. I want to be counter culture. Maybe I shouldn’t buy so much Starbucks and start buying that really cool independent coffee company that’s really genuine.”

            People are drawn to honesty and transparency in companies. I think it’s good that companies are putting more focus on their reputation as opposed to spending a lot of time and money on creating a brand. This is a more genuine approach in my opinion.