{"id":4485,"date":"2016-12-27T15:47:00","date_gmt":"2016-12-27T21:47:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/live-gordon-food-service.pantheonsite.io\/branding-through-touch-points\/"},"modified":"2023-02-01T14:20:17","modified_gmt":"2023-02-01T20:20:17","slug":"branding-through-touch-points","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gfs.com\/es-us\/ideas\/branding-through-touch-points\/","title":{"rendered":"Branding Through Touch Points"},"content":{"rendered":"

In my last column, I introduced the concept of \u201ctouch points\u201d\u2014seven critical moments every customer experiences in a restaurant. Pay attention to these touch points, I wrote, and you can capture the \u201cit\u201d factor that so often distinguishes successful restaurants.<\/p>\n

Now I\u2019d like to examine these touch points from a different perspective\u2014the contributions they make to building and maintaining your brand.\u00a0<\/p>\n

I still encounter operators who think their brand consists entirely of their name and logo. Or that branding is for \u201cthe big guys,\u201d not independents. Thankfully, that number is much smaller than it was in years past. But so we\u2019ll be on the same page, let me reiterate my favorite branding definition, courtesy of Gordon Food Service\u00ae Commercial Customer Success Manager Doug Owens:\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cYour brand is your promise to your guest that is unique and readily identifiable, supported by demonstrated behavior and executed by your team.\u201d<\/p>\n

Social entrepreneur Dan Pallotta put it even more succinctly in The Harvard Business Review: \u201cBrand is everything, and everything is brand.\u201d<\/p>\n

Everything you do for a customer<\/h3>\n

That brings me back to my seven touch points, which encompass the entirety of your customers\u2019 experience. Thinking in terms of touch points requires you to think about everything you do to satisfy a customer. The way you deliver on it gives your customers an impression about your business.<\/p>\n

How does this play out in the real world? Let\u2019s consider two retail brands, the Dollar Store and Macy\u2019s. Both are retailers. Both are after customers. Both try to build their business. Yet, because of their branding and how they control it, no one will ever confuse the two.<\/p>\n

Logos are an essential part of both brands. But their brands are also defined by the products they offer, the way their employees approach customers, their store designs and their target demographics. These are all touch points.<\/p>\n

Are you branding by default or design?<\/h3>\n

Here\u2019s the funny thing about branding: You\u2019re engaged in it even if you don\u2019t realize it. Whether you\u2019ve deliberately worked on it or not, your business has established a brand that makes an impression on customers and potential customers.\u00a0<\/p>\n

You may be lucky; customers may have a good impression of your business even though you haven\u2019t given branding a second thought. But it\u2019s just luck; the brand has developed haphazardly without any direction from you. That may reflect well on your ability to run a restaurant, but it is not an intentionally crafted strategic asset. \u00a0<\/p>\n

It\u2019s far better to manage your brand actively and to control, as much as possible, the impression people have of you.<\/p>\n

Start taking active control of your brand by identifying:<\/p>\n