It's the experience that walks out the door.

By Carolyn Kiser

I had the privilege of hearing Darren Jackson, CEO of Advance Auto Parts speak this morning at a breakfast organized by the United Way Community Catalysts. He is a fascinating person who has accomplished so much in his short professional career. He had a lot of good information to share about business, economic development, and his 2010 Camaro. But what really struck me is the legacy he wants to leave behind as CEO of a Fortune 500 company. He recognizes that the stores are a critical part of his customers’ relationship with the brand. And therefore part of his goal is developing and implementing a successful operational system in which a strong in-store experience and healthy working culture can be adopted across all stores. He understands that if the employees are happy every day they go to work, they in turn will pass of that passion to the customers, resulting in a positive in-store experience. He simply stated “It’s the experience that walks out the door.”

This can not be stated enough. Anytime a person has a positive (or negative) experience, they are more than likely going to tell a friend about it, resulting in the coveted word-of-mouth marketing. Unfortunately (for us), this type of marketing is not something that can be achieved with a national PR campaign or a television spot. The customer experience is part of the internal brand that needs to be aligned with a company’s core values and operations.

Think of a brand as an ice cream cone. The ice cream would be the products and services, while the cone represents the corporate culture and customer experience. The cherry is the external brand message. Many people think building a brand is just about the cherry on top. While the cherry is very important, it only represents one part of the company’s brand, the external brand. Whether it is a snazzy logo or a funny TV spot, it is only part of what makes a brand (or cone) complete. Companies need all three parts working together to have a successful brand. And especially in today’s social media driven world, brands need to rely on great products and a great customer experience, as fancy ads will do little to help an inferior brand.

What’s in your cone?