Brands That Rock Hard
Posted At: July 11, 2013 at 3:00 p.m.
by Martina Kaiwi
Brand consistency is an essential survival tool for organizations located around the world. As for Hard Rock Cafe and its more than 175 locations in 55 countries, the company believes its success not only relies on its general brand consistency, but also on how its employees reflect its organizational culture.
As PR practitioners, we can appreciate the value of face-to-face communication and understand its effectiveness when dealing with key publics.
Hard Rock Cafe’s employees become the face of the organization’s operating values:
1. Practice honesty, integrity and professionalism.
2. Encourage everyone to maximize their potential.
3. Take personal accountability for getting results.
4. Create brand excitement through innovation.
And most importantly,
5. Deliver Kick-Ass Service.
Unlike many other restaurant, hotel and casino chains, Hard Rock Cafe encourages its employees to be themselves and to express their individuality in a professional way.
According to Hard Rock’s employee handbook, “Hard Rock is more than just a job, it’s a life style. It is a way for you to express and share your ability to have fun with everyone you meet. The secret of success is knowing who we are and what we do. Tapping into that awareness and understanding your sense of ‘place’ — that you work in an environment with like-minded, yet original characters — is empowering. We hope you continue to truly discover yourself with us and pass on those qualities that make you rock!”
By branding its employees as “original characters,” Hard Rock enables its customers to better identify the organization’s signature products and services, and also build a relationship of trust. Hard Rock Cafe’s customers trust that each Hard Rock they may visit around the world will provide the same authentic American food, music and atmosphere.
By creating this trust through consistent brand identification, Hard Rock Cafes around the world are able to better sell their merchandise by marketing each location as a collectible experience that is mainly illustrated on pins, T-shirts and shot glasses.
I believe Hard Rock Cafe is a perfect example of how brand consistency leads to long-term success of an organization. Hard Rock Cafe’s reputation is based on a simple fact — the burger you order in Dublin should be the same burger you ordered in Dubai. In this case, the burger reflects Hard Rock Cafe’s mission: “to spread the spirit of Rock ‘n’ Roll by creating authentic experiences that rock.”
