Getting under people’s skins

I am writing in response to Alan Mitchell’s article (MW November 9) on branding being in the mind of the consumer. At last, the industry is beginning to realise that this approach to brand communications isn’t solely a concept.

In future, brands will have to answer to greater demands. However, I think Alan Mitchell could have put greater emphasis on two key areas: firstly, the need to understand people and their daily changing lives is crucial. If this is not taken on board, it becomes impossible to create communications that are useful and relevant, as opposed to presumptive and intrusive.

Brands have a wealth of information about consumers available to them. If they work out how best to use and manage this effectively, the task of communication will not seem to be quite so da

unting.

Secondly, as product parity sets in, service becomes even more important as a key differentiator. Training people that represent the brand (brand ambassadors) is paramount. Customer service representatives are the face of the brand. Increasingly, they will need to become experts in a vast array of areas they don’t cover currently as brands expand into new industries.

Alexandra Goldsmith

Client services director

Myrtle