If your brand is in a delicate spot, handle with care
The health of brands is in a constant state of flux. Depending on many influencing factors, your brand could be stronger than ever, or weak and desperate, in which case extra care should be exercised.
The other day I was eating in a restaurant with one of my colleagues and an employee of an internet & phone service provider that I'm a customer of walked in wearing a really nice sweater with his company's logo on it. After further examination (not hard to spot), I realized it was a Bench sweater. For those who don't know the Bench brand, it's a high-end (translated expensive) clothing brand.
Being a long-term customer of this person's company, my thoughts went directly to the internet bill which I was presented with a month ago. It was so unreasonable in comparison to the competition, that I was forced into tough negotiations in order to get it to a reasonable rate. Furthermore, just this last week, I was mailed a notice from the same company informing me that my home phone charges are going up.
Without realizing it, that trendy, comfortable, really nice sweater has become a very poignant, visual, negative brand impression, when in my opinion one can not be afforded.
Some may think I am over reacting, but the point is that this is what your customers do. They feel things.
Everything you do that touches your customer has the potential to grow or diminish your brand impression.
Handle with care.
