Article 1
Topic: Brand Speaks
Submitted by: Manish K. Khemka
(EMBA, Second Semester)
Brand Speaks!!!
The American Marketing Association defines a brand as “a name, term, sign, symbol, or design, or a combination of them, intended to identify the goods or services of one seller or group of sellers and to differentiate them from those of competitors.” A brand is thus product or service that adds dimensions that differentiate it in some way from other products or services designed to satisfy the same need. But today, brands are alive and stand for a “distinctive name identifying a product or service”. It builds the basis for differentiation and competitive advantage by influencing the stakeholder image of the corporation.
A service organization is a habitat of resources - its employees. Branding a service organization is branding the services and the professionals. The intangible nature of professional services implies the organization should be perceived as expert in its domain. Healthcare industry is a true service industry and here, people serve other people.
Therefore, internal branding of the services gains significant importance. A solid internal brand leads to the ‘wow’ effect at every moment of truth. The moment of truth in service for healthcare industry is the point where anyone who walks in the hospital - a patient, his attendees, suppliers, vendors or stake holders - interacts with any hospital staff member and undergoes an experience. It is from this point that the hospital’s brand is built.
Furthermore, Brand identity leads to employees accepting the values of the organization and aligning their behavior according to those values. Many studies on brand management emphasize that employees represent an ...