BRAND SIGMA

How to make the brand perform at peak levels is a serious and complex issue brand managers deliberate upon with sapience, to anchor ‘unwavering’ brand confidence of prospects. One way to address the challenge could be to follow the laid-down standard brand management procedures. The other option could be application of deviant yet savvy solutions to raise the bar for sustained brand trust and eminence.

For many years I had contemplated on the idea that like the concept of six-sigma pioneered by Motorola that sought to apply ‘process optimization’ approach to minimize process errors to a negligible level of 3.4 defects per million opportunities, if an analogous approach could be expressly fostered to manifest brand’s intrinsic quality standards that would principally augment, (but not limit itself to) brand content, brand values, brand delivery, brand experience and brand trust, all of which aim to uplift brand appeal, image and trust.

Brand-Sigma, as a novel concept could sound notional, yet it may not be so alien in a scenario where brand failures are frequent, usually for reasons of overlooked dormant brand fragilities. I am fairly convinced that like the six-sigma objective of creating processes systemization to perform at optimal operational standards, brand-sigma initiatives similarly could induce a refactored approach to achieve infrangible brand quality optimization that would help escalate the “asset value” of brands while mitigating sticky inconsistencies.

A small bridle that might come in the way is few key quality sets (intangibles) may not be quantifiable for brand-sigma with precision as is possible in fixing six-sigma process standards. Unlike process functions, brand ‘makeup’ cannot have defined technical or logistical measures to rely on, because every brand has a different lineament to portray and sustain. Nevertheless, for brand-sigma evaluation and improvements could be agitated through judicious assessment and optimization of brand content and value indices.

This treatise seeks to intelligibly reflect and enunciate the key drivers on brand- sigma apposite to unlock the new normal of present-day brand management. Yet it should be imperative for managers to determine and devise brand specific optimum standards in order to institute the finest brand-sigma values, since features and benefits for similar category of products and services could be inherently different.

I encourage the inquisitive minds to test this immersive study on the brands they represent and manage.