Is there a correlation between branding and incentives? Branding is about consistency and sustained development of products and services. It is about a person that delivers on the brand promise, resulting in integrity for the brand.

The branding strategy gives the vendor an authoritative niche over competitive markets, thereby gaining a major market share and delivering sustained profits.

If this is not incentive enough for any organization and its staff, what program could match human resources (HR) to accelerate the program? This poetic melding of incentive and motivation was coined by John Howard, the Australian Prime Minister, late last century, yet it failed to grip the national imagination. “We need to create a system of incentives where workers are rewarded for their loyalty.”

Along those lines, loyalty for what purpose? The answer, of course, is to promote and achieve objectives. An incentive program is a formal scheme used to promote or encourage specific actions or behavior by a specific group of people during a specified period. Incentive programs are used in “Business management” business management to motivate employees, and in sales to attract and retain customers. Scientific literature also refers to this concept as performance.

But what really attracts and retains customer loyalty?

This is exactly what branding is all about. So the question is, do we need an incentive program, strategic branding or both? The problem with addressing this question is that there is no “know-it-all” from either the academe or the professional marketer. If only we could learn how to solve these issues from a textbook. If that were possible, all our professors would be accomplished marketers and would, perhaps, stop teaching.

Motivational speakers who promote themselves as “know-it-alls” and “gurus” are many. They muddle the issues and drive marketers crazy. Capitalists do not care how anything is achieved other than to make sure it is legal and that it produces profits. Profits are not achievable without strategic management and discipline. There is an element of luck that seems to go along with success, but there are other disciplines that need attention.

Many of us are overtaken by success and eventually become “know-it-alls.” I, too, am guilty. In Asia, unlike in the U.S., many will do business only with other successful businessmen and stay away from start-ups. After all, why settle for a neophyte? Who would have thought Bill Gates would be a good bet considering his nerd-like appeal?

One proven strategy is branding over incentives. With strategic branding you can be assured of sustained preference for your brands. The disciplines are addressed and the results uncontestable. If you have branding issues, wonder how branding succeeds, have questions about why it is rewarding and when it actually delivers results, call us at Superbrands.