The Art Of Brand Alignment

Businesses today offer more than just products and services. It is no longer enough for a brand to be merely purchased and consumed – products have to relate to customers in a way that creates brand loyalty as an expression of the consumer’s life. To create an experience that best presents the brand personality to the customer, there has to be holistic and realistic brand alignment.

Brand alignment is one of the strategies that ensure everyone in the organisation fully embraces the brand’s unique truths and understands the brand promise. It is the combination of internal and external brand perceptions that empowers a brand to identify and shape these core brand promises for the target market. This ensures that the brand communication strategy – brand identity, brand image, brand protection, brand positioning, brand promotion and brand distribution – is synchronised to consistently deliver the most powerful and effective messages to shape the brand.

Consider the brands that practise brand alignment by delivering their brand promise; and how their brand has been strengthened by the fact that their customers’ experiences are aligned with their brand promise. One such brand is Shu Uemura cosmetics with its philosophy of balance in nature, science and art.

The brand actually derives its name from its founder, the make up artist Shu Uemura. In 1955, Mr Shu Uemura shot to fame after his artistically masterful work transformed a Caucasian Hollywood actress into an Asian looking geisha. Subsequently, during 1983, he went on to develop the first ‘open concept’ cosmetics boutique in Tokyo which was described as more of an art supplies store than a beauty centre.

Right up to today, Shu Uemura merges art with make up through its colourful palettes and showy styles for the face, concentrating especially on the eyes – the most attractive and expressive asset of any women. The brand is famous for its many outstanding designs of fashion eyelashes and high profile celebrities who have sported them include Jennifer Lopez, Oprah Winfrey and Madonna
(www.shuuemura.com/content/Article.aspx?cc=4&
c=115).

Banking strongly on Emotional Selling Propositions (ESP), Shu Uemura relates its brand alignment with customers from everywhere. Through creative concepts, it reaches out to transform women into attractive works of art. Brand promotions such as runway shows, fashion exhibits and ad campaigns carry artistic themes with creative colours and concepts. Even its make up schools are named ateliers, which means a room or building where

an artist works. All this serves to align the brand with its artistic positioning (www.shuuemura.com.my/index.flash.htm).

Through natural ingredients and scientific innovation such as its “depsea water” extraction, it assures women that its products are pure, effective and of the highest quality. Shu Uemura is actually the first cosmetic brand to include deep sea water in all its products in line with its belief that there has to be a balance between nature, science and art. Based on this, it aligns its innovations to produce and create ground breaking unique products such as its Cleansing Oils.

Internally, the brand aligns itself through its Shu Uemura techniques training for its make up artists. It also encourages them to be creative and passionate for their art and also to develop leadership and management skills. Employees are diverse and talented but all are taught to share the same love of Shu Uemura’s balance philosophy.

With a majority stake acquired by L’Oreal in 2003, the brand continues to hold strong onto its unique artistic trademark. With its creative themes, beautiful concepts and innovative skin care features, Shu Uemura cosmetics have acquired a following the whole world over from its native Japan to US, Europe and many parts of Asia.

It’s true that a consistent brand alignment can enhance customer-brand experience as it did for Shu Uemura. Consider this… does your brand communicate its brand promise and brand message consistently through its brand identity, brand image, brand protection, brand positioning, brand promotion and brand distribution?

Effective brand alignment involves more than just the product – it includes the people behind a brand, as well as the company vision, mission, culture and purpose. It also includes the relationships the brand builds across its partners, vendors and retailers to its outlet operational teams who come into contact with customers purchasing the end product. Brand alignment begins from the moment the brand is conceptualised to the moment it is embraced by the customer… to create a holistic and complete brand experience for all who come in touch with the brand.

Only with the presence of proper and consistent brand alignment will brands be able to build the emotional connection that leads to brand loyalty, making these brands wanted in the market.

To align your brand as a wanted brand, talk2us@peopalove.com or call
+604-2288 696.