When we are developing a communications plan for a client’s organization, I like to go and spend time there. Depending on the client, that might mean sitting in the employee cafeteria, the lobby or anywhere that staff might gather and chat. Sometimes that means I ride the elevator up and down a few times or go to the coffee shop closest to their office. It is so I can get a sense of the people behind the brand. Because really, that is who delivers on your brand promise. And one of the components of great PR is authentically communicating your brand promise to your stakeholder group.

There are some incredible people that work for your organization that deliver on your brand promise every day. They bring your brand to life and they make real connections with the people that purchase your goods or services. They make your organization a success through each action and interaction they have with your stakeholders.

There have been several individuals at companies that we have done business with (as customers) recently that I want to highlight here. Their customer service is exceptional and it stands out. They are living their brand.

First off are Christa and Tammie at Corporate Impressions. We purchase our branded AHA jackets here. We’re not a huge company and our order is always small (very small by comparison to the size of many orders received, I am sure). However, we are always treated like we are the most important client in the world. No detail is left to chance and when we need something on a deadline, it happens. Christa and Tammie are exceptional. We wouldn’t think of going anywhere else for our corporate branding merchandise purchases and always recommend Corporate Impressions to our clients (and anyone else who asks).

The next one is Donna at Odd Ball Workshop. We recently needed to get an odd, one-off item created for a client to take as a gift to a talk show host. We asked Christa and Tammie about this and, because it was one piece, it wasn’t something that Corporate Impressions could do without it being incredibly expensive. They sent us to Odd Ball Workshop and the service we received from Donna was first-class. Never mind that we are a brand new customer and what we want done isn’t a huge moneymaker for them – less than $50 total cost. I was treated as though this item (and the very tight deadline for it) was the most important thing in Donna’s world. The service and attention to detail was exceptional.

I can’t say enough about how professional, service-oriented (and genuinely charming) these three women are. They bring life to their company brand and deliver great service every time. I wouldn’t hesitate in recommending their companies. To me, that is great PR.

How does your organization stack up when it comes to living your brand? Do the individuals that connect with stakeholders bring your brand to life; do they deliver on your brand promise?