We thought following on from Podcast 007 which was all about Building a Brand, we’d have a look at some good, and bad, examples of this and what we can learn and take away for our own businesses.

Let’s get started then and perhaps it might be useful to just recap on what a Brand is?

Branding is your statement to the customer about what you do. You want people to know what they can expect not only from you and you need to think how you want your product or service to be conveyed. It's saying this is who we are and what we want you to know about us. A brand is the image you portray.

Yes, so we did discuss this in more depth in Podcast 007 and also about how some people get the logo mixed up with brand. Of course, a logo is just a visual representation. So, which companies are out there doing it right?

We thought following on from Podcast 007 which was all about Building a Brand, we’d have a look at some good, and bad, examples of this and what we can learn and take away for our own businesses.

Let’s get started then and perhaps it might be useful to just recap on what a Brand is?

Branding is your statement to the customer about what you do. You want people to know what they can expect not only from you and you need to think how you want your product or service to be conveyed. It's saying this is who we are and what we want you to know about us. A brand is the image you portray.

Yes, so we did discuss this in more depth in Podcast 007 and also about how some people get the logo mixed up with brand. Of course, a logo is just a visual representation. So, which companies are out there doing it right?

Well, I thought we’d start with our current favourite Airbnb!

Oh yes, I’ve converted you, haven’t I?

Yes, you have indeed, Nicky! I was a solid Premier Inn girl, and still am, think they give great customer service, think a lot of places could learn from the way the staff are trained, never stayed in a bad one, rave about them all the time. BUT then you introduced me to the benefits of Airbnb and I, have to say, I have been bowled over by the whole experience.

We’ve stayed in a couple of excellent places recently, haven’t we? And so reasonably priced. I also like the fact the booking procedure is so easy, and I always seem to be getting incentives to persuade me to book again or to recommend a friend.

It’s brilliant, and I love their story. Very briefly, two guys set up Airbnb because they felt people had stopped trusting each other and they wanted to create something that would stand for something much bigger than travel and ‘stand for community and relationships and use technology to bring people together.’

Well, they’ve certainly done that highly successfully. Their whole ethos for the guest and host is very clear and really does build on that trust issue. Did I read that one of the Airbnb founders actually lets out rooms in his house?

Apparently so! Which is encouraging – he has enough faith in his service to use it! They also wanted to make sure people were going into areas that they wouldn’t normally think of to stay, building on this sense of community. They used ‘Belong Anywhere’ as their slogan.

They really are cultivating that feeling. They say when travellers leave their homes, they feel alone. They reach their Airbnb, and they feel accepted and taken care of by their host. They then feel safe to be the same kind of person they are when they’re at home.

So, listeners, do you have any experience with Airbnb? Are they doing what they say? Does the reality live up to the brand image? Let us know what you think.  But also importantly think about what are you doing to show that you believe in your business? So, what have you got for us, Nicky?

Now,