CMO Doug Aguiar highlights the importance of brand in an era when companies need to find ways to differentiate themselves from competitors. He argues that in the saturated marketplace, a brand can become the most valuable competitive asset.

CMO Doug Aguiar, an award winning marketing executive and brand consultant, and former Chief Marketing Officer at Golden 1 Credit Union, shares his 30+ years of experience while explaining how to build brands that matter.

Why Brand Is More Than a Logo?

Aguiar’s approach to brand building starts with its definition. According to him, organizations must focus on associations, perceptions and experiences that are linked to the brand. They appear naturally through the customers’ learnings and interactions with the business. Since that process takes much time, it is essential to ensure consistency throughout the lifetime of the brand. Aguiar asserts that branding should be perceived as the “business of the business” as opposed to the “business of marketing”.

His framework is based on three words – define, express and activate.

Define: Find Your North Star

The first stage is to define the purpose of the organization. Aguiar recommends articulating its mission, vision, values, brand promise and purpose. For him, all of the elements combined present the North Star of the business. Companies have recognized the importance of purpose as customers engage with them on a more personal level. They want to align their values with brands as opposed to just buying their products. In the words of Steve Jobs, “Marketing is about values.” According to Aguiar, that sentiment reflects the criticality of purpose as it unifies employees, customers and communities. He suggests using competence, culture and cause as guides while defining the purpose. Brands such as FedEx, Apple and Patagonia have effectively incorporated the respective elements into their branding efforts.

Express: Turn Purpose Into Something People Feel

The second stage revolves around the expression of the brand. Aguiar instructs to bring the purpose to life and make it recognizable, relatable and rewarding. The word “expression” encompasses everything from logos and colours to language, storytelling and behaviours. As per the executive, the emotional connection facilitates the decision making of the consumer. He advises to make customers the “hero” and the brand as their guide through the journey. The tactic can enable businesses to create a lasting impression.

Activate: Deliver on the Promise

According to Aguiar, activation is about bringing the promise to the customers’ everyday experiences. It is vital to synchronize brand building efforts with the business strategy while pursuing operational excellence. Marketing, customer experience, technology, talent and other elements must come together in unison. The approach will resonate differently with customers depending on their personal preferences, insights and buying behaviours. The increasing significance of personalization will make it possible to leverage technologies and CRM ecosystems to enhance the journey on an individual basis.

The Golden 1 Credit Union Example

Aguiar was the chief marketing officer at Golden 1 Credit Union and is currently the president of the Doug Aguiar Agency. His experience in enterprise brand building was critical in reinventing the credit union. The company was founded in 1933 as a not for profit financial institution. Throughout its history, it has been dedicated to serving communities. During Aguiar’s tenure, the enterprised underwent an extensive transformation to shape its brand promise, marketing mix, purpose and identity. The new purpose is to build a better California. As Aguiar explains, it is about making the state more financially fit.

Fast Company and American Banker have recognized the reimagined credit union through features and profiles. To him, the success of the campaign reflects a fundamental truth about purpose driven brands. It states that organizations must align their values with actions so that the entire business is on the same page.

Why Strong Brands Become Competitive Moats?

Aguiar’s central idea showcases the power of brands. Companies can harness their potential to drive growth and profitability. Customers will stick with the business if they know what to expect and have a positive experience. On a broader level, brand building can be a competitive moat.

Business Fortune feels the presence of a strong brand enables organizations to acquire customers with ease while keeping them loyal to the brand.

FAQs

Who is CMO Doug Aguiar?

Doug Aguiar is an award winning marketing executive and brand consultant. He is the former chief marketing officer of Golden 1 Credit Union.

What is Doug Aguiar’s approach to building a strong brand?

His framework is based on the following three stages:

  • Define: Find Your North Star
  • Express: Turn Purpose Into Something People Feel
  • Activate: Deliver on the Promise

Why does Aguiar believe purpose matters?

Purpose can guide employees, customers and communities. It can be a differentiating factor for the brand while helping it to build a better world.

What was Aguiar’s role at Golden 1 Credit Union?

As Chief Marketing Officer, Aguiar was instrumental in implementing the enterprisewide brand transformation. It involved identifying the company’s purpose, promise and identity.

How can brand become a competitive advantage?

A strong brand can facilitate the expansion of a business’s customer base. The enhanced loyalty will result in higher revenues while making it harder for competitors to attract new clients.