Some of the nation’s biggest brands were built by entrepreneurs with humble beginnings, who didn’t have millions in VC money, who didn’t have the luxury of starting out with a fat trust fund from daddy. In fact, it was probably because they had to learn things the hard way that entrepreneurs like Ray Kroc or Sam Walton became so successful. But they also had something going for them – they had a vision of what they wanted to create and an unswerving committment to realizing it.

This vision was in creating a brand that was different than other companies they saw out there. And it didn’t take millions of dollars to formulate their brands. It took the desire to do something different, to build their business according to a set of principles and the dedication to apply them consistently over decades. And you can do it, too … if you have the moxie, forsight and dedication to create something remarkable (plus a little luck never hurts).

They are one of the few places I know of that still uses sandwich boards, a fact I find perplexing. If you have decent foot traffic, a sandwich board is the perfect intercept for your potential customers. It stands between them and where they are going at a time when their stomachs are beginning to grumble, and it plants a seed with a tantalizing message (today’s was corned beef hash and eggs for $5.99 – a gastronomic value if there ever was one).

And it got me thinking … a sandwich board might not be the right tool for every brand, but there are certainly optimal tools for your small business in getting in front of your customers at the optimal time. A brand isn’t just about devising the right message and delivering on it, but it’s also about interacting with your customers and prospects where they might frequent, whether it’s at the grocery or in the mall or when they’re searching online.

Take a cue from Swift’s Steak House and the sweet lady with a pencil behind her ear who serves me pork chops with a wink. Find that place where your customers hang out and put your sandwich board out.

Behavior is always...

...situational

Many people (and many brand pundits) think the same thing about brands. A brand is a constant; a fixed set of associations and attributes that remain stable over time. But in practice, this is also hardly the case. Why? Because brands are, if anything, peculiar human constructs that contain all the strengths and weaknesses of our species.

A brand manager or brand strategist may assign attributes to a brand, but in the end a brand is based on the actions and activities of all the people who deliver the brand and interact with it. You know, employees, distributors, vendors, retailers, the media, and finally, the customers. It’s these interactions and behaviors around the brand that in the end define it.

As an organization, you have the power to influence these behaviors by delivering on your brand promise. That’s the challenge for most companies … to behave in all situations in a manner consistent with your brand promise.

I have a wonderfully silly chocolate lab named Bill (See pic below). Now from time to time Bill, like any dog, gets a bit gamey. So last Sunday I wandered down to one of our self-serve dog washing shops (Denver is dog-crazy, so we have scads of dog-washing, dog-sitting, dog-grooming, dog-boarding, dog-whatever establishments).

Bill the Dog being cute

Like usual I was running late and got there about a half hour  before they were supposed to close … plenty of time, I thought. When I walked in, there was one guy and his affable looking poodle in front of me. I turned to the clerk and she gave me a look like my dog just farted … you know, sort of a slight stink-nose. “I’m not sure we can fit you in … let me check,” she said running to the back. I chewed on my lip thinking, I’m not asking you to wash him for me; I just want one of your bathing areas for 10 minutes and me and Bill will be outta here. She came back with another employee who said, “Yeah, we’re low on towels and we’re closing here soon, so we can’t fit you in today. Sorry.”

Now, I will be the first one to tell you that the customer isn’t always right (years ago when I waited tables, I once had a guy send back a ribeye steak of which he had eaten 9/10 … some customers are just not worth keeping). But I’d been to this place dozens of times, and I wasn’t even really that late. What I’m saying is what happened to the “Yes, we can help you out” or “We’re out of towels, but we can certainly find some way to get your precious poochie clean.” What happened to the “Yes we can,” because, if anything, a strong brand is about making things possible for your customer.

The moral: Your brand is only as strong and vibrant and engaging as the people you put in front of it. Make sure your employees and brand ambassadors have permission to say “yes” and are committed to the cause. Otherwise you brand could go to the dogs (sorry, couldn’t resist).