The "branding" of NEHA.

"She didn't even say that the company was sorry."

I am hardly the first flying passenger to be inconvenienced by an airline. I also know, as an association manager, that despite everyone's best efforts, mistakes are going to happen in any business. So when I stood at the counter to ask the gate agent how I was going to get from Chicago back to Denver (because I had missed my connection thanks to mistakes made by the airlines), any ideas of recovering something for my inconvenience such as a free lunch or some extra miles for my frequent-flier bank were the furthest thing from my mind. Despite the mishap, I had no expectations from the gate agent, who was also, by then, the face of the company--save one. For the dozen or so of us who were now stranded in Chicago, I did expect some acknowledgement of the problem--even a token and halfhearted "sorry for your inconvenience" would have sufficed. (It never came.)

In the for-what-it's-worth department, because of all the traveling I do, I am a member of this airline's frequent-flyer program (which supposedly makes me a more special customer of theirs). I am also a regular revenue passenger for the airline--which is now facing strong competition from two other airlines in Denver. I should probably also throw in that I, too, am a person who merely by my humanity arguably deserves the decency of some recognition. (No acknowledgement of my problem was ever offered.)

What makes this story all the more aggravating is that we were all treated in ways that bore no resemblance to the way in which the airline claims to treat its customers. For example, the airline's CEO gives speeches and sends me (and no doubt hundreds of thousands of other customers) e-mails emphasizing, among other things, that his airline puts its customers at the forefront of its decision-making. He adds that the airline is committed to meeting customer expectations. Moreover, airline employees are committed to ensuring that customers receive "superior" customer service. And finally, I'm repeatedly told that the airline is built around my needs and me.

After reading the representations of this company, one almost begins to feel like that long-lost relative whom the airline just wants to hug.

On the other hand, does anyone whose name isn't Forrest Gump actually believe any of this? Of course not. My sense is that we have all pretty much grown accustomed to hearing one thing but then seeing something else--especially when the going gets tough and a company has to show that it means what it says. And with respect to my little episode, I would heartily argue that indifference hardly equals superior customer service.

I don't share my little story to elicit sympathy. I have had far worse flying experiences, and I have no doubt that many of the Journal's readers have had far worse experiences than I have ever had. I share this story as an entry into a discussion of the branding craze that is sweeping America.

One writer even refers to this craze as the "mad-brand disease" (Susan Barnes-Gelt, Denver Post, October 22, 2003). It would seem, just based on the volume of articles that have been published on this topic in the last several years, that branding has become the new religion of businesses, organizations, government agencies, and even not-for-profits like NEHA. The fever (and fervor) for branding has become so pervasive that these days, if you are not doing it, you risk becoming a social outcast among your professional peers. Moreover, branding is being relentlessly bandied about as the new passageway to unimaginable glory and riches. The promise of branding zealots is: "Brand, and they [meaning customers] will come!"

Ah, if it were only so easy. I suspect that because nothing in life is easy (branding included), and because branding isn't delivering on its promise, we're now also starting to hear some voices questioning the craze.

The questions begin with a recognition of the obvious--which is that far more often than not, what a company (or an organization, etc.) promises seldom lines up with what it actually delivers. The gap between the promise and the delivered results (in my example, the difference between superior customer service and outright indifference) leads to a deepening cynicism and disbelief in society about all such claims.

The airline CEO of the company that dropped me off in Chicago can send me e-mails till the cows come home telling me about his company's superior service. I don't believe him. From real-world experience, I already know what his company's brand is; it is indifference to the customer. And no CEO's e-mail or flight attendant's perky and scripted "thanks-for-flying-with-us" goodbye is going to change my mind.

The fatal flaw in branding is that it is all too often a product of the 10th floor (or the corner office, or the marketing team). Companies and organizations harbor the illusion that they can create and define the brand. I invite people to argue with me on this, but I am convinced that the consumer defines the brand--not the company. Forward-thinking companies can research their markets to find out what their customers think of them and then they can parlay that into effective branding messages--but, more fundamentally, the brand is hatched in the marketplace and not imposed on it by the corporate boardroom. In my case, I would argue that this airline would take a giant step toward honesty, credibility, and respect if it would rebrand itself as the airline that doesn't care. If nothing else, at least its customers would finally start believing the company's representations.

Brands emerge from the real-world interactions that a company has with its customers. Brands become a function of how a company acts and performs--especially under duress. (For example, insurance companies that paid off questionable settlements following September 11 demonstrated by their deeds that they were indeed reliable and worthy of their customers' trust.)

In NEHA's case, we have intentionally resisted jumping on the branding bandwagon. Instead, you will find in all corners of the association a quiet but hardworking collection of staff and volunteers who strive to meet quality and relevance standards and who truly care about the members and stakeholders whom we have and we serve.

We want you to be proud of us for what we do (quality and relevance) and how we do it (with care and concern for you--our family). People with such value systems don't tend to walk around and tell others that they are like this. That would put the emphasis on convincing you as opposed to showing you that we are this way. Instead of mounting a branding campaign to tell you what our brand is, we instead just try to do our job and to let the results of our efforts speak for themselves. If we have done our jobs well, we assume that word will spread and that more and more people will be drawn to our association and family. It is all really that simple. You might even say that NEHA's approach is the anti-brand!

As I have said before in this column, we realize that you have options. We also realize that at the end of the day, your judgements and not our pronouncements will be all that count. Besides, no matter what the branding consultants say, short of some mass hypnosis, this is the way it has always been and the way it will always be in the type of market system we live in.

In the various promotions we conduct, you may find us extolling some of the virtues of our organization and members. Such presentations help us to explain who and what we are and what our products and services are all about. Don't make the mistake, however, of thinking that these presentations constitute some type of a spirited branding campaign. They are not. There is a big difference between clarifying who we are and what our offerings can do and the glitter of branding campaigns that seek to convince the world that company ABC is the be-all and end-all in a certain market niche. That's a verdict that only you can render, and we are very comfortable with that.

One more thing--if we make a mistake or cause some great inconvenience for you, we will both feel bad and tell you we are sorry. Not a bad idea for a brand, eh?!

Nelson Fabian, M.S.

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