Being a Brand Steward Nanette Foster VP/Senior Brand Planner One of my favorite definitions for stewardship is from Peter Block, author of “Stewardship and the Empowered Manager.” The definition he uses is “holding something in trust for another.” I believe this brilliantly simple definition hits the heart of what stewardship is all about. To become a great brand steward, we need to become personally accountable for what happens to our brands and we need to earn the trust of our brands through proper management of them every day. We all have opportunities to become brand stewards; only a few, however, actually view these as opportunities and fewer still actually act on them. Whatever the reason for this, I think most would agree: our brands would benefit greatly if we all become better brand stewards. So, let’s take a closer look at what it takes to become a great brand steward. What We Need for the Journey As I was considering this topic, I found myself thinking about one of my favorite childhood movies, The Wizard of Oz. I know many of you just stumbled over that, but stick with me as I explain. Dorothy and her friends embarked on their journey to find the great wizard to get the things they so earnestly desired. For Dorothy it was her home, for the Scarecrow it was a brain, for the Tin Man it was a heart, and for the Lion it was courage. This story illustrates what we should desire in our journey to better understand brand stewardship and practice it every day. A Home As brand stewards, we need to build a solid home for our brands, one that we will value always. As many marketing folks have said in one way or another, great brands aren’t born, they are built. We need to discover the driving core — the reason for being — for our brands and then use this as our foundation for everything we do. The brand steward needs to determine and steadfastly manage to this purpose every day. A Brain Great brand stewards think differently. They identify possibilities and discover different ways to solve problems. Brand stewardship is about turning problems into opportunities for marketers to think creatively. Brand stewards are lifelong learners, always searching out new skills and stretching beyond to do more. A Heart To become a great brand steward, we need to put our hearts into it. We need to drive with passion. As the tag line for Prescott College clearly states: Passions make the best professions. This is basic human nature. When people are involved in things they love and are truly passionate about what they do, they perform better and want to do the best they can. A brand steward is someone who is passionate about the brands for which he or she is responsible. It is from this passion that brand stewards are able to push beyond limits, and do the right thing for the brand every time. When we drive from our heart, we are able to actively manage our brands in ways that not only benefit our clients, but also help to foster brand building cultures overall. Courage It’s about the boldness to stand firm and do the right thing for the brand. It means staying the course — even when others are focused on short-term solutions or get sidetracked by the latest fads. A brand steward needs to put the integrity of the brand above all else. A brand steward believes that delivering the brand promise to the customer is worth fighting for. Brand Wizards The other lesson we can glean from the classic story is that we are ready now to go out and be great brand stewards. As our Wizard of Oz friends realized at the end of the story, they had all they needed and desired right from the start, they didn’t need the Wizard’s help after all. We, too, have all we need to start to become great brand stewards of our brands. Remember, it’s not really the superstar moments that make and/or sustain great brands. It’s the ordinary, everyday interactions that make the difference. Relationships are simply a series of interactions. Each interaction is either building a brand or tearing it down. We all can be great brand stewards. What are you waiting for? Palio Communications VIEW on Advertising March 2006 Palio Communications, Saratoga Springs, N.Y., is a subsidiary of inChord Communications Inc., a Ventiv Health Inc. company. For more information, visit palio.com. Agency Services To become a great brand steward, we need to become personally accountable for what happens to our brands and we need to earn the trust of our brands through proper management of them every day.

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