| What Is Branding | | | | as a cost center, use ROI and Economic Value |
| The term "brand" is often mistakenly used to | | | | Added metrics to illustrate how IT has contributed to |
| describe a company's reputation, mission statement, | | | | the bottom line. |
| or core competencies. Rather, your brand is the | | | | 6. Communicate at the executive level. Actively |
| unique value proposition that you offer to your | | | | promote IT successes to business leaders. Use |
| customers. Used to promote the value generated by | | | | executive committee meetings as a forum for |
| your IT functions, an effective branding campaign | | | | promoting IT value and convey benefits in terms of |
| can help mold users' perceptions of your department, | | | | the achievement of specific business goals. Focus on |
| your services, and any major initiatives that you | | | | what is important to executives and put together a |
| undertake. | | | | presentation that relates to their needs. |
| Action Plan | | | | 7. Use branding campaigns for major project launches. |
| Brand building has traditionally been a marketing | | | | Your users are constantly bombarded by vendor |
| initiative. However, many of the same concepts that | | | | campaigns on the Internet and in trade publications. |
| apply when marketing your company's products or | | | | These campaigns often set unrealistic expectations |
| services externally also apply when promoting your | | | | and make idealistic promises. Manage your own |
| IT department internally. Use the following branding | | | | expectations and help facilitate change management |
| advice to help communicate your department's value | | | | by building brand management into your own |
| to the rest of the organization: | | | | projects. For example, if you are going to be |
| 1. Start with alignment. Aligning IT initiatives with | | | | launching a large ERP project, wrap this in a branding |
| strategic business objectives is a precursor to | | | | and communication campaign. Without getting too |
| effectively branding your department. If you are not | | | | techie, outline the work that IT is doing to help |
| aligned, then no matter how you spin it, business | | | | improve processes, and then advertise the benefits |
| users will be able to see right through your "pretty | | | | to users. |
| package. " | | | | 8. Deliver. This is key to the ongoing success of your |
| 2. Assign a brand manager. This need not be a formal | | | | brand image. If you are positioning your department |
| position, but you need a sociable, value-driven | | | | or certain projects in a certain light, then be prepared |
| individual within your department (this could be you) | | | | to deliver on your promises. Failing to do so will |
| to monitor the perception of IT within the company | | | | undermine your credibility. If you're engaged in |
| and develop strategies for promoting IT value. | | | | activities that are not creating value, be strong |
| 3. Identify your target audiences. Understanding your | | | | enough to admit your faults and identify new ways in |
| audiences, their concerns, and their desires can | | | | which you can advance your company's goals. |
| greatly improve your branding efforts. Take some | | | | 9. Give out free samples. In the IT world, this means |
| time to survey users and identify differences | | | | pilot projects that involve end users. In the same |
| between how the enterprise views IT and how IT | | | | way that free samples are used by marketers to |
| views itself. What is the perceived value of IT within | | | | woo skeptical customers, pilot projects can be used |
| the organization (i. e. your current brand image)? | | | | by IT departments to help communicate the benefits |
| 4. Define a value proposition. Outline the value that | | | | of a new investment and help build a positive image |
| you create for the organization, and decide on what | | | | for the project. |
| perceptions and images you would like to change. If | | | | 10. Treat your employees well. IT staff members are |
| you don't work to build a strong brand (and | | | | your department's ambassadors within the company. |
| implement practices that support it), employees | | | | If they are dissatisfied, then they are more likely to |
| within the company may develop their own, less than | | | | complain to fellow coworkers and work against the |
| favorable, views of what IT is all about. In a | | | | positive image that you are trying to convey. |
| worst-case scenario, you risk being viewed as a | | | | Grumbling employees are also less likely to provide |
| costly commodity or necessary evil instead of as a | | | | internal users with friendly customer service and |
| strategic differentiator. | | | | helpful support. |
| 5. Measure your successes. Use IT metrics to track | | | | In Summary |
| and highlight IT value. Measures of success might | | | | Being the best at what you do often isn't enough. In |
| include satisfaction surveys, productivity metrics, | | | | many cases, it's also necessary to communicate the |
| reduction of downtime, improved help desk | | | | value that you create. Market and brand your IT |
| efficiency, or quantitative analysis indices, such as | | | | department internally so that others within the |
| ROI, TCO, payback, etc. Track those metrics that | | | | organization are aware of the value your team |
| help improve your image. For example, if IT is viewed | | | | creates. |