By The Brand Guy
Who remembers Larry Page and Sergei Brin? A couple of decades ago the duo was the face of Google. Where are they now?
Your guess is as good as mine.
Who has heard of Sundar Pilchai? Probably you and everyone el se in the fields of branding and communication. He is the new face of Google and its successor conglomerate, Alphabet.
Pilchai is a human touchpoint. A touchpoint is a point where consumers and stakeholders interact with the brand, for instance shop shelves, signage, packaging, offices, the website and social media.
Humans can be touchpoints as well. Pilchai’s representation is one of the ways that Google brings consistency and understanding to its brand and product.
The success of a human touchpoint depends on consistency. The nature (character) of communication must be consistent across time and the appearance of the human touchpoint must also be consistent.
Consistency is crucial in ensuring that all touchpoints align with the brand’s identity. If an individual consistently communicates the brand’s values and message across interactions, it strengthens brand recognition and trust. Inconsistencies will lead to confusion, dissatisfaction, and potential harm to the brand’s reputation.
The character of communication can vary slightly as long as the values and corporate philosophy evolve at a digestible pace. Evolution happens, but it should not be revolutionary. For instance, imagine falling asleep next to someone with black hair aged about 40 then waking next to someone with blond hair, aged 25. The relationship would be immediately questionable, probably falling apart quickly.
In practice, the brand must be evolutionary. Consider the shock of the new Jaguar brand as an example of revolutionary activity. The jury, and the market is still out on that one. The same applies to the human touchpoint, most likely the CEO but potentially also the secondary spokesperson. Take note of the PR initiatives and expenditure to smooth the entry of a new CEO into a major company.
 Consistency also means that the message must be understandable to the audience. If your audience is financial specialists and administrators, tailor the communication to that level.
If not, if less complex, find the level that is suitable for the audience. I have observed that if the communicator is insecure, the communicator will try to impose a degree of authority by talking over the heads of the audience, in essence stating that they know what the audience does not.
The choice of the channel is also a factor in consistency. If the media channel does not closely match the interests of the audience, the message will be ignored. Â
The second broad field of human touchpoint consistency is regular, persistent appearance in the view of the audience. Consider appearances of an individual in a social circle as an example. A person who makes regular appearances in a social circle will be incorporated, but a person who does not will soon be forgotten, as is the business case with Sergei Brin and Larry Page.
Communication is an expense. The tendency with marketing and communication is to rely on one opportunity only and expect massive impact in order to reduce the cost of communication.
However, to remain in the eye of the audience, communication must be sustained so the expense must be borne and seen as an investment. This can be understood and can be stablished by strategy. This is doubly true of the human touchpoint.
As is the case with Sundar Pilchai and the gains he brings to Alphabet and Google, persistent communication brings rewards.
*Pierre Mare has contributed to development of several of Namibia’s most successful brands. He believes that analytic management techniques beat unreasoned inspiration any day. He is a fearless adventurer who once made Christmas dinner for a Moslem, a Catholic and a Jew. Reach him at contact@pressoffice7.com if you need thought-leadership, strategy and support.
