THE BOTTOM LINE
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Building trust, continued ...Published: June 01, 2012
Even those who have trust by the truckloads want more. Starbucks has
built a frothing fan base as the king of dark-roasted coffee. Still,
they recently introduced a lighter coffee, “the blonde roast,” because
they realized there is a universe of consumers who want in on the
Starbucks moment but can’t stomach the rich, strong blends that the
chain has always served.
“It was brilliant because they just
widened their customer base by showing they care enough to listen to a
group that wants into the Starbucks culture,” says Mandy Levenberg, a
branding expert with Minneapolis-based Iconoculture. “This is one
powerful way to build trust.”
It can also start inside a
company and spread externally through the voices and actions of
employees. Several years ago, Colin Baden, CEO of Foothill Ranch-based
Oakley, said he and other senior executives were “getting panicky” after
Italian optical giant Luxottica purchased the action sports eyewear
company for $2.1 billion. “We were hiring so many people that we felt we
were losing touch with our identity internally,” Baden recalls.
So
a small team crafted a five-point “manifesto” against which all actions
and decisions could be measured to keep the company grounded and moving
forward. It was introduced to the 5,000 employees in January, and Baden
now says the values statement is the “best piece of work” produced by
management in his decade at the company’s helm. “The speed at which it
was consumed has been stellar,” he says. “It shows just how thirsty our
workforce was for this.”
Armed with a renewed purpose,
Baden believes Oakley’s employees will become even more passionate and
focused on their mission to connect with consumers. Besides, it’s hard
not to trust a brand whose motto is, “If it’s not good enough for the
world’s best, it’s not good enough.”
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| Building trust, continued ...Published: June 01, 2012 |
Even those who have trust by the truckloads want more. Starbucks has
built a frothing fan base as the king of dark-roasted coffee. Still,
they recently introduced a lighter coffee, “the blonde roast,” because
they realized there is a universe of consumers who want in on the
Starbucks moment but can’t stomach the rich, strong blends that the
chain has always served. “It was brilliant because they just widened their customer base by showing they care enough to listen to a group that wants into the Starbucks culture,” says Mandy Levenberg, a branding expert with Minneapolis-based Iconoculture. “This is one powerful way to build trust.”
It can also start inside a
company and spread externally through the voices and actions of
employees. Several years ago, Colin Baden, CEO of Foothill Ranch-based
Oakley, said he and other senior executives were “getting panicky” after
Italian optical giant Luxottica purchased the action sports eyewear
company for $2.1 billion. “We were hiring so many people that we felt we
were losing touch with our identity internally,” Baden recalls. So a small team crafted a five-point “manifesto” against which all actions and decisions could be measured to keep the company grounded and moving forward. It was introduced to the 5,000 employees in January, and Baden now says the values statement is the “best piece of work” produced by management in his decade at the company’s helm. “The speed at which it was consumed has been stellar,” he says. “It shows just how thirsty our workforce was for this.”
Armed with a renewed purpose, Baden believes Oakley’s employees will become even more passionate and focused on their mission to connect with consumers. Besides, it’s hard not to trust a brand whose motto is, “If it’s not good enough for the world’s best, it’s not good enough.”
<<< Back
While you're here, check out:
≈ OC METRO magazine's current issue and past issues ≈
≈ Our digital magazine ≈
