We’ve spoken now for a few days about brand equity  (Here is part 1 and this is part 2.)  The problem is that most of us think its value is far greater than we’ve truly earned.  And, when we see evidence to the contrary, we often discount it.

This concept also applies to why certain folks are enamored of Fox News while others are of Rachel Maddow.  As Bertrand Russell (a famous philosopher when I was a child)  stated…

“If a man is offered a fact which goes against his instincts, he will scrutinise it closely, and unless the evidence is overwhelming, he will refuse to believe it. If, on the other hand, he is offered something which affords a reason for acting in accordance to his instincts, he will accept it even on the slightest evidence.”

So, what we really need to do is seek out all evidence- that with which we agree and that which we find objectionable.  And, evaluate the basis of each to determine which truly applies. It means we need to consider a valid subset of our stakeholders to discern where we really are- not where we think we are.

And, when we are charged to change our ways- to improve the value of our brand equity, then we have to recognize that there are two factors in play.  We need to adhere to our principles, mission, and vision- but not by sacrificing our present and/or our future- because we must continually adapt and change to the circumstances that obtain. While we build our enterprises with innovation and insure we are adaptable to new circumstances, we must insure that our process management systems remain intact.  (Of course, unless they are clearly deficient.  By all means- change them immediately.)

This situation becomes more untenable as our businesses get more complex.  Because in complex systems, we can only guess that we have “the system right”.  Because the number of variables (not including the variability of people and their reactions) means we have to use best guesses most of the time.

Which is also why we need to always be flexible and monitor our businesses (you know- with those key performance indicators [KPI] – because our best guess could simply be flat out wrong.

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