“It’s so important to walk the talk,” says Alain Ouzilleau, President of Cabico. Great marketing is tangible. It’s more than words. It’s an integral part of the organization, and holds up the brand like the pillars of a building.
Cabico is one of North America’s leading manufacturers of high-end custom kitchen cabinetry. They stand out with a focused customer experience that is designed to build trust and enhance the buying experience.
Alain explains, “The story of our brand is all about the ‘human touch.’ It is a phrase we use a lot, and it represents so much of who we are: from customer service; to our plant; to our people; to the way we are dealing with and caring about our employees, partners and customers. It’s all about being very close to them.”
The “human touch” would be a catchy slogan, but Cabico gives the phrase form and structure by clearly defining what it means. They walk the talk, because their phrase is grounded in clear guidelines for the business and brand.
Pillars provide the brand structure
Cabico creates compelling customer experiences by understanding which behaviors and values are the most important.
Alain says, “There are five pillars that support our brand, and what the ‘human touch’ means for us.”
- Taking care of our customers (and our stakeholders): Our approach is rooted in understanding, consideration and respect.
- Total design freedom: We are in the “Yes” business. If you can imagine it, we can make it.
- Craftsmanship: Our people make the difference. We love what we do, and take pride in making our cabinets perfect.
- Agility: Even with 250 employees, we can quickly turnaround one of a kind cabinetry that our customers want.
- Lasting quality: Our products have a warranty for life, because our passion is making flawless crafted cabinetry.
The five pillars are well understood and communicated at Cabico. And they are even featured boldly on their website.
By defining what their brand means, Cabico is able to walk the talk. They have created brand pillars, or guidelines, that give their brand form, purpose and strength.
Brand pillars are built on values
Your brand pillars are built on your company’s core values. Values are static. They form the foundation of your brand, and the brand pillars are built upon them to create the customer experience.
Cabico’s five pillars guide them on how to serve their customers, and they are built upon their core values. Alain says, “Our principle core value is ‘Care like it was yours.’ Our people really care about what they do, and we often say, ‘Make the door like its going into your kitchen.'” That passion and craftsmanship forms the foundation of the Cabico brand.
Brand pillars are the visible structures of the brand. They stand out like columns on a building. They are visible, actionable guidelines for the business. They let your team know what is important, and guide them to make decisions that support the brand. They support your team so they can walk the talk.
And when the customer experience lives up to the marketing it makes your business stand out. It makes your brand sticky.