What is a Brand Wake™?

Why is company image such a big deal? Imagine that your company is a motorboat. Get in. Crank the engine. Pull away from the dock. As you do, look over your shoulder and notice the wake that is trailing you.

Consider that churning brew your “brand wake.” No matter how big or small your company is, it leaves a wake behind as it moves through relationships with consumers, vendors, and the multiplicity of people who in some way touch or are touched by your business. That metaphorical brand wake is the brand equity of your company. It is the sum of all perceptions held concerning each aspect of your enterprise by every audience that is important to its success. 

Brand equity is a strategic asset, albeit intangible, but perhaps one of the most important in your portfolio. The question is, are you managing that equity in an intentional way or are you allowing it to become what it will? Are you building brand equity, or depleting one of the most precious assets in crafting your future success? Your company’s image is a big deal because it is about asserting conscious control over all the ways you influence the perception of your key audiences. Next time you’re having a hard time making a decision, ask yourself, “Is this choice going to help enhance the value of my company’s image?” It’s not just something to put on the plates of your marketing and advertising vice presidents. Be honest.

“Brand Wake™” and “Brand Wake Theory™” are trademarks of Reason Communications, LLC.