Be careful about putting your brand on too high of a pedestal. You never know when a rumor might knock it off.
Glenwood Park is an Atlanta community recognized worldwide as a model for turning inner-city brownfields into sustainable, community-focused living spaces. The 28 acre mix of residences, businesses and retail is a weekend hotpot and one of my favorite places to get a cup of coffee or taco.
The developers, Green Street Properties, worked very hard to make sure each of the residences were Earthcraft certified and built with as many sustainable processes and products as possible – except the main square’s fountain, apparently.
Word of mouth negates branding
Walking through Glenwood Park with a few representatives from a new client, I commented on the quaint beauty of the fountain pictured below.
When one of the client reps replied that he thought the fountain had come from Italy, another rep added, “Wow, that’s reeeeally environmentally friendly. I wonder how much fuel they burned to get that local resource in place.” Cue laughter from the rest of the group, followed by jaded thinking centered on Glenwood Park’s claims of sustainability.
While it’s impossible for any community to be 100% eco-friendly, it may not have been a good idea to include a fountain rumored to be flown in from Italy as a brand centerpiece. It’s a shame because all the wood and insulation you can’t see are working very hard to live up to the community’s reputation.
Lesson One: Be sure your brand story rings true at every major touch point.
Comcast is working very hard to overcome its reputation for bad customer service. There’s a newfound effort to improve every aspect of their brand experience so they can stake a claim in their audience’s mind that can be backed up by their experience. For a community like Glenwood Park, fountains should be crafted by local artisans that require less fossil fuel for final delivery.
Lesson Two: Be humble in your messaging
Claiming to be a “New Shade of Green,” as Glenwood Park does, is smart positioning so long as you think about the expectations you’re building in people’s minds. As companies shift from “Brand Statements” to “Brand Conversations,” more attention needs to be paid to the nay sayers. If you claim to be green, someone will point out your brown spots. If you claim to be the smartest, someone will point out something you did that is dumb. That’s the reality of the comment box and blog being tied into today’s marketing efforts.
Lesson Three: Provide an Outlet
I would have liked to have seen a place on Glenwood Park’s website where I could participate in discussion without submitting personal information. It would have been nice to have a place to ask about the fountain and either be informed that the fountain was indeed locally produced or learn the reasons why such a sustainable project saw fit to include it in the first place. Also, it’s a good idea to provide links to social bookmarking sites or social networks in case visitors like what they see and want to share with friends.
