Retail Observer

RETAILOBSERVER.COM DECEMBER 2015 32 Sam Abdelnour Guest Columnist BUILDING YOUR STORE'S BRAND FOR CONSUMERS TO LOVE AND TRUST A S A C O M PA N Y W I T H 1 0 4 Y E A R S O F E X P E R I E N C E D E V E LO P I N G B R A N D S I N TO H O U S E H O LD N A M E S , W H I R LP O O L C O R P O R AT I O N H AS A W E A LT H O F K N OW LE D G E A B O U T T H E I M P O R TA N C E O F B U I LD I N G A B R A N D I N T H E M A R K E T P L AC E A N D H OW I T W I LL R E S O N AT E W I T H C O N S U M E R S . W E R E C E N T LY D E C I D E D TO P U T T H I S K N OW LE D G E TO W O R K F O R O U R VA LU E D T R A D E C U STO M E R S I N O U R P R E S E N TAT I O N " B U I LD I N G YO U R STO R E ' S B R A N D F O R C O N S U M E R S TO LOV E A N D TR UST" I N TH E H O P ES THAT WE CAN ALL B E N E F IT F R O M TH I S WI S D O M. W H Y W O U LD YO U CA R E ? T he way you develop, present and manage your store's brand can make all the difference in the relationships you build with customers – from drawing them into your store for the first time all the way through recommendations to friends, on social media and even passed down through family generations. The following are the brand truths that have successfully guided our decisions and actions you can take to build a brand that your customers can truly love and trust. Brand Truth #1: Brands are about feelings, not facts Think about the reasons customers cross your store's threshold. A broken washer causing kids' clothes to pile up and disrupt the family schedule. A kitchen remodel for empty nesters finally able to replace appliances worn from years of family wear and tear. A relocation to a brand new community. Whatever the reason for the new appliance, it has an emotional connection. Your customers want to do business with a "brand" that shows they care about the emotional events that brought them into your showroom. Brand Truth #2: A brand is not just part of your business, it is your business When you think about developing, presenting and managing your brand, it goes way beyond rolling out a snappy new logo for your store signage and website. Your brand is the very essence of who you are and it needs to be reflected in everything - from the way your sales associates greet the customer to the cleanliness of your bathrooms. It's the little things you do, not the big things you say, that are the true reflection of who you are. Think about a business that provides a clear unified brand at every touchpoint in your community. These are often considered premium businesses. For example, Lexus has exemplified this

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