Strong Brand Reputation = Communication + Marketing

DISCLAIMER:
This piece is actually based on a conversation between a client (who serves as the Chief Communication Officer at a pharmaceutical in Karachi) &  myself. Half the content credit goes to him. His identity is withheld on request & the quote below is from him.

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I think its time to tear down the barriers between a companies’ marketing and corporate communications department. This is because, in this recession recovery era, many are trying hard to rebuild trust, notably those in commercial banking. The departments should work together in building brand equity & corporate reputation in a combined effort to convey integrated communications.
But how, you may ask.

You can start by using research about reputation drivers to compute how varying brand characteristics impact the image & satisfaction, and take it from there.

Say for instance, you’ve identified transparent communication as your reputation driver; you need to customize all corporate messaging to emphasize them. As always, in-depth research is key to understanding if you want your message heard.

“In our part of the world, employees do not have a sense of ownership with the company & I suppose it is a two-way street as our firms do not often create a link between effort and reward. I often feel that my department operates under a rock, unaware if our messages are working. Research is the solution to lift the rock off us & help understand impact of our efforts.”

Babar Javed is Managing Director of Mission Centenarian, a health & fitness company founded in 2007, which comprises of a network of personal trainers in Karachi. He was most recently the chief marketing officer at Élan Guides & has worked with GlaxoSmithKline & UBL Fund Managers as well. Currently pursuing an undergraduate degree in Marketing from SZABIST, his key interests lie in brand activation & advertising. For fitness training or general queries, you may reach him at javed86@hotmail.com

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Category: Brands, Media, Production