Brand is a set of experiences delivered, not just promises communicated. When you embark on a strategic rethink of your company’s brand it is critical to keep this in mind from the outset. It isn’t just about capturing the language of repositioning; it’s about engaging your organization to deliver a set of intended, distinctive experiences across customer touch points. This has never been more true than it is in today’s environment.

Technology is opening up new opportunities to both differentiate customer experiences and establish new or additional incentives for trial, selection and loyalty across nearly every industry. It is accepted that these changes should become factors of business strategy, but they must also be reflected in the definition of brand strategy, experience design and even corporate purpose.

Mastering the interplay of customer experience and brand strategy is becoming a crucial test for marketers. With brands built more and more through orchestrated experiences, an omni-channel review of customer experience as part of discovery is vital. Without it, no brand team can provide guidance that unifies the direction for brand communications and service delivery in ways that heighten relevance, attraction and the loyalty of customers.

Integration is the key. Only when you rise above historic patterns to integrate disciplines and processes can you create new value through a customer-experience-centered brand. In today’s digital world, isn’t it time to stop thinking about brand strategy, customer experience, and corporate purpose as related but separate disciplines?

Let me know what you think.