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• February 2010 (2)
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A while ago I was at home preparing dinner for the family when there was that dreaded 6pm knock on the door.

This particular evening my visitor was here on behalf of a well known car care company, and it was not particularly successful for them for several reasons.

Apart from not being particularly well presented and not offering me any kind of identification, the verbal exchange was not what you'd expect from someone who is likely to make any kind of sale.

When I informed him that I would rather exercise my personal choice and stick with my usual dealer service company he became aggressive and rude and indicated that I may have been less than astute in my consumer choices.

Forgetting that consumers have choice, irrespective of price, is a very big mistake. I am more likely to stay with a brand that I know, like and trust, and simply turning up at my door with a slim promise of being cheaper isn't likely to be enough to sway me.

My main concern about this whole exchange was that this person was representing a company and that company seemed to have no measure, or possibly interest, in the people who were out on the streets giving their brand a very bad reputation. Perhaps this explains their demise earlier this year.

Making sure that whoever represents your brand follows your philosophies, morals and goals is vital.

Myer struck gold when they chose Jennifer Hawkins to represent their brand. She oozes style, beauty and great moral values, much as Deborah Hutton did before her, and depicts exactly the brand image that is right for them.

Whether you have a ‘face' to represent your brand, your staff members are dealing with customers, you have people representing you in the social media sphere or you hire consultants to market and sell your brand, I think it is so important to make sure that their values align with yours to avoid expensive and potentially brand-damaging issues.

I'd be interested to hear your thoughts.

Keep communicating!

Karen