Branding Your Company’s DNA
By Ernie Chen

DNA, an acronym for deoxyribonucleic acid simply refers to the molecules that carry the genetic information necessary for the organization and functioning of most living cells and control the inheritance of characteristics.
Company DNA = Company Culture

Company DNA today demands compelling marketing communication messages to capture customer emotions by:
• A clear understanding of our real business
• Marketing strategies reflecting our "DNA"
• Communications that powerfully express our differentiating benefits

In branding our company’s DNA, the challenge we encounter is that the term "branding" has been overused and abused to the point that it has lost much of its meaning. Like most marketing terms that evolve into "buzz words," it is often used to refer to things that have basically nothing to do with the true meaning of the word.

Many marketers claim they are running a "branding campaign" when in fact all they are doing is selling. Ads offering promotions based on discounts or beating the competition on price alone are not about branding. They are one-shot efforts to move product. There is no relationship with the customer and no promise of commitment.

True marketers understand that branding effort involves communications that inspire an emotional reaction in the recipient. Branding does not sell a specific product. Rather, it creates an image of what the brand DNA represents. It creates an image that evokes a positive emotional response in the consumer's mind.

Branding is not about being creative and it's not something that comes from the Creative Department of the ad agency. It's about that warm, fuzzy feeling your customer gets when he or she sees your brand. It's about your customer service and how your people greet your customers even when they're having a bad day. It's about how your company is portrayed in the media. In short, branding involves the complex matrix involving every single contact touch point that occurs between any service/product or human representative of your company and any customer or potential customer in the world.

One of the most amazing DNA branding stories of recent years has been that of ATCEN, a true Malaysian success story. We at ATCEN strongly believe that we have done an exemplary job of creating one of the country's strongest people development brands in record time. How did we achieve this?

By recognizing what our real business is.

"We're not in the training, consulting and outsourcing business. We're in the branding business."

Last updated - 31 January 2005