Sometimes it’s the juxtaposition of things or events that highlight the obvious. Luxury highlights poverty, ostentation simplicity, garrulousness brevity.

Today is the day that our political leaders engage in (what passes for in our society ) the first televised debate between party leaders on British television. As I drove along near my house today I was listening to the lunchtime news on Radio 4. The airwaves were full of advice for the party leaders ahead of the debate. Pundits opining about the need for the leaders to use their voices well, talk deeply, breathe freely, slow their speech down. There was advice about non verbal communication, about hand gestures, about eye contact. There were comparisons with past Australian Prime Ministerial and US Presidential debates. The winners and losers of the debates were identified and the images, gaffes and topics that caused the candidates to become winners and losers (Tricky Dicky’s 5 o’clock shadow for instance) poured over.  The over arching message was about the importance of image and of the need to project sufficient gravity in difficult times, of the need to create the impression of clear and positive authority and, most importantly, to establish the aura and presence of leadership.

As the piece was reaching it’s climax I passed a serious RTC on the opposite side of the dual carriageway. Clearly a nasty one, two cars involved and the roof of one car had been cut off to allow access to the occupants. About a mile down the road, blocking access to the northbound carriageway, were two local police cars. Both were driven by uniformed male officers. The officers were out of the cars talking to each other. One had a dirty yellow reflective jacket on. The other a stab vest. Neither had hats on. Stab vest officer was leaning on the door of his car. Yellow jacket officer had his hands in his pockets and was slouching by the car door. They were engaged in conversation and appeared oblivious of their surroundings. What they projected to the passing motorists was the antithesis of gravity, authority and leadership. They looked casual, they appeared sloppy and, as we all know, if it looks like a duck, walks like a duck and talks like a duck…it’s probably a duck.

Your brand is created in the mind of the consumer and entrusted to your frontline staff. Were the officers probably talking about and engaged in the trauma of the nasty RTC? Probably, maybe. Did they reflect the image and standards of the force? Absolutely not.

Your brand is in the hands of your staff and delivered by them all day, every day. When was the last time that you had that discussion, provided that focus or articulated that expectation?

Related posts:

1. Build the brand, involve the customer (or shout really loudly).
2. Hands up if you think…
3. Talking CCTV. Process compliance or brand opportunity.
4. Volunteers: Inside the brand
5. Bringing people inside the brand