Supporting clients to persist with their goals: Can brand management principles help?

Last Saturday, I found myself sitting opposite a couple. Like most couples, they appeared to be enjoying each other’s company chatting over a cuppa. But unlike most couples, I realised that they were chatting nonverbally by signing. As one signed, the other watched attentively before responding with several signs and a smile. This back-and-forth silent exchange continued for several minutes before ending with a firm handshake, an exchange of something and huge smiles on their faces. 

My mind wondered towards the possibilities. Maybe they were friends catching up? Maybe they were negotiating a deal? Maybe it was something else? Regardless, they achieved a positive outcome together. I propose using brand management principles from the marketing and consumer literature to understand how this positive outcome was achieved.

These principles are:
1) Brand identity (i.e., Who am I?)

2) Brand delivery (i.e., What do I do to present myself)

3) Brand experience (i.e., How are my actions perceived by others?)

4) Brand image (i.e., How do others see me?)

Applied to this situation, the couple

1)        Possibly identified as members of the deaf or hard of hearing community (brand identity)

2)        Choose to use sign language to communicate (brand delivery)

3)        Values creating positive outcomes by waiting attentively when the other person communicates, responding using the same mode of communication, and persisting with the same topic/message throughout the conversation (brand experience)

4)        Being consistent in language choice and the message conveyed (brand image)

More broadly, perhaps brand management principles may be a useful way of reflecting on how we support clients to persist with their therapy goals especially when the going gets tough?  For example, in these situations,  

1)        Can I confidently adjust the therapy goal for my client based when things go pear-shaped (brand identity)?

2)        Are the adjustments conveyed in ways that my client understands and identifies with (brand delivery)?

3)        What do my client’s reactions to what I have said or done tell me (brand experience)?

4)        How do I add value to my client’s life especially when things go pear-shaped (brand image)?  

Photo from Medium.com

The opinions expressed are entirely those of the author’s (Dr Ruyi Tong).