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There is this Christian debate about the Holy Trinity where different sects of the religion look at this subject differently, and of-course the Islamic acknowledgement of the existence of Christ but probably just as a prophet. I am not here to weigh in on these varying religious schools of thought but rather to point out how even what I personally argue to be the most successful brand in the world can also be caught up in distorted perceptions.
The brand promise
If you read the Old Testament scriptures in which the coming of the messiah is prophesied, you definitely would understand why the Jews anticipated an incarnation of a prophetic but military general who would come and lead their war front towards a freedom from their enslavers. Who can blame, the scripture had promised a David kind of a King.
Isaiah 9:6-7, ‘6 For to us a child is born, to us a child is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this’
What we see is the promise, in this context the brand promise and the expectations set for the intended clientele. Likewise, as a person or an organisation, you need to find time before setting foot in the market to detail what your employers or your consumers should expect upon your arrival.
This is what we call brand planning and design. Your parents may have given you a name but I call it a functional name, one that comes from the designers, which points out how your manufacturers view you. However, there should be a time in your life when you recreate that name to suit what you want your market to expect from you.
Whether you want to be feared, trusted, respected, or believed. Some modern day prophets have mastered this art of brand perception picking names that are more angelic, passionate or saviour like.
Even businesses should master this art of branding to create expectations. This can be done through names, shapes, colours or taste. It is very important to hire a psychologist at the brand planning or design phase of a project to ensure everything will be purposefully placed to create certain expectations. Think of Red Bull or Pick N Pay, which is an instruction we all carry around everyday of our lives, are we not picking and paying?
Customer perception
This is where the title of my article is placed and where I found the branding genius of Jesus Christ. He came as a set of promises and arrived to a set of expectations. He found time to do a review of how he was being pursued in the market, and he stood ready to endorse the most accurate perception to ensure that post that review, everyone would stick to that. Who do you say I am? He asked them.
Mat 16: 13 – 19
Matthew 16:13-19
13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”
14 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
15 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”
16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
17 Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. 18 And I tell you that you are Peter,[a] and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades[b] will not overcome it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be[c] bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will bed] loose in heaven.”
And he did that on BOLD terms. Telling Peter that his answer was not just an answer based on his understanding of who Jesus was but a revelation from God himself, was a way to make sure everyone who was listening and would read in future had to stick to that.
When a brand lands in the market, you need to take time to ask your most loyal customers why they are loyal to your product. Whoever gives that answer which makes the most sense, should automatically be given the chance to lead the rest of your customers. Look at Vaseline petroleum jelly, rumour has it, the product started off as a machine lubricant or grease but the manufacturers kept listening to the customers and boom a story came out that the product was working magic as a skin care product particularly when it comes to wounded skin.
It doesn’t matter what your original intentions were, how your customers view your product, particularly the loyal ones is very important. Another rumour goes for coca cola, how it started off as a pharmaceutical product but today dominates the beverages market.
Be ready to endorse your most loyal customers as the customer voice, which represents your brand offering.
Re-branding
Mat 11:3
3 “Are you the Messiah we’ve been expecting, or should we keep looking for someone else?” This question counts as rather offensive, but therein lies some serious brand wisdom. The time when the messiah was being promised was different from the time the messiah arrived. Upon his arrest, John probes the equation of the promise and the existing.
I can’t claim to know what was in John’s mind, but his question suggests a mismatch between what he expected and what he was now seeing. Fast forward we hear Jesus, making a direct comparison of him and John alluding to their eating and drinking habits, he goes on to point out the genius of the mismatch, ‘Wisdom is known by her children’.
You can stick to a certain brand understanding of your own bearing, but if it is not yielding the desired results, then maybe it is time to adapt to what the market is asking for. For Jesus, dining with sinners was a way to catch the fish in their water not to hope they would somehow find their own way to the cafeteria. This much needed brand development and adaptation skills or techniques can be learnt in various marketing, branding,programs like the ExCITE course from the Women’s University in Africa.
Countering Counterfeits
In as much as the brand of Christ is set in his brand manual, the bible, It is not doesn’t stop counterfeits from entering the market place. He however goes on to say; you shall know them by their fruits.
Mat 7: 15 – 20
15 “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. 16 By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognise them.
Mat 24:5
5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.
Be so committed to your brand identity and delivery, that anyone who will try to copy what you do in pursuit of money will eventually be exposed and discovered through outcomes.
You do not create a brand for the identity it will hold in the market, you create it to identify the outcomes packaged in the product. After all has been said and done make sure where your customer derives their most satisfaction is from the functionality and effectiveness of your products.
Nicholas Bhero is a human capital development expert, Transformational Speaker and Senior Consultant at Fincorp Advisory PVT LTD he can be contacted on 0783184726 or [email protected]
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