In Part 1 of this article, I referenced 3 ways to build a brand that matters.   Here are the final three:

4.   Treat customer service as a brand building medium

In a technology-driven world, consumers now demand customer service. No longer will they tolerate sitting on hold or waiting for your brand to respond. They want attention 24/7/365. If they don’t get it, they’ll broadcast their bad experiences, amplifying their problem through their social platforms and outlets, negatively affecting brand sentiment. Customer service should be considered a key brand building block, and brands should look for ways to deliver service in a compelling way in every possible physical and virtual reality.

5.   Be ready to react and engage at a moments notice

Brands need to be set up to respond “on-the-fly” and in the moment to capitalize on emerging opportunities, and minimize brand threats.

6.   Leverage technology to create more personalized experiences

Advances in technology have taken research to new levels of insight, quantity and quality. The ability to capture feedback across various touch points (mobile, social, etc.), combined with new data integration methods and advanced analysis tools are creating ways for brands to deliver a better customer experience, create more repeat business, streamline operations and deliver more timely and holistic insight into business decisions. In the near term the brands with more data, the ability to analyze it, and the ability to quickly disseminate insights will have a greater chance of staying on the pulse of consumer and trends so they don’t fall by the wayside.