CEOs who delegate brand-champion responsibilities may be branding themselves as incompetent

An effective  CEO owns the company’s brand heart and soul.  As brand champion, he /she  must consistently signal through personal word and deed what the company believes and where it is going. A powerful brand connects with real people inside as well as out. It establishes a solid foundation that will support corporate and market energy—even in the face of competitive turbulence.

 I encourage CEOs to begin the  process by declaring a “Statement of Purpose” that will serve as a branding platform. It becomes the corporate North Star—a superordinate marker that a critical mass of employees and the consumer will trust and support. Customers are not fooled for long by slick promotions and advertizing that turns out to be more hat than cattle.

Effective branding signals genuine affinity to the consumer. It functions as a catalyst that differentiates not only what is offered, but howwill be delivered and served. When a CEO is not recognized as the brand champion (both inside and out) the company is just blowing costly smoke that will clear at the 1st competitive breeze.