One theme that emerged at the Conference Board's annual Marketing Conference earlier this month was the importance of a consistent brand experience, not only for customers, but for employees as well. This might sound like mass marketing, but experts from Credit Suisse and American Express explained to conference attendees how brand essence is an important part of a good one-to-one relationship.

Credit Suisse launched its "One Bank" rebranding effort in December 2004 to help unify the siloed organization that had emerged after mergers and growth. "We thought of it as an internal merger," said Matthew Hickerson, director of investment banking marketing and advertising for the financial services company. "We wanted to integrate operations to focus on what clients want and expect."

The initiative was also a response to what the company saw as a changing client landscape, and a big part of the effort was designed to involve individual clients. Hickerson and his team conducted interviews around the globe, asking the bank's most valuable clients about their perceptions of the organization, as well as what they'd like to see changed. According to Hickerson, clients saw the company as an integrated entity, and the brand message needed to reflect that. They were also more sophisticated and expected more customization. "The plain vanilla, 'this is what we have to offer' age is over," he said.

As a result of this research, the company dropped "First Boston" from its name, redesigned its logo, and focused on three "holistic services" -- private banking, investment banking, and asset management. If done right, the relationship with the customer won't erode as the brand vision changes, Hickerson advised. Keep customers involved, and they'll help lead the brand vision.

Employees hold the brand cards
The American Express presentation pointed to the role of employee as a key enabler of a successful customer- focused brand strategy. "Lots of employees can't make the connection between the brand and the customer," said Peter Vaughn, Vice President of Brand Management for the company. A directive and mission statement don't often translate into day-to-day customer focus and interactions, and this can bring brand strategies to a dead stop, he told the Conference Board audience. Without employees living the brand promise with customers, it's a useless endeavor.

Vaughn and his team created six points of difference that are commonly shared throughout the enterprise. But Vaughn's team speaks directly with each business unit to make the message more tangible and relevant based on the touchpoints used to interact with customers. For instance, a brand message in a customer acquisition mailing looks very different from a call center interaction or a billing statement. He wouldn't reveal specific actions, though he said that the individual attention to employees bridges the gap between internal planning and external execution.

"We articulate the corporate brand strategy down to the business unit level, and dial down what's less important for that particular group," Vaughn said. "Going down to this level was incredibly important to drive brand strategy and engage employees." The result is an army of employees with a focus on the brand, who understand their role in delivering the brand message to each customer they touch.