Which ones will deliver real bottom-line value? How can you identify the best types? Which ones are just hype? With the sheer volume of information to sort through, not to mention opinions and options, simply ignoring the whole idea of web tools can actually seem rather appealing.

Let’s have a look at one of the latest – and practically effective – types of web tools, and how it has the potential to deliver real value.

I think we can all agree that pretty much any business imaginable could benefit from better market intelligence to help formulate improved business strategies – from being able to identify and respond quickly to new trends, regulatory changes, political changes to monitoring customer perceptions. After all, the internet is an excellent source of these kinds of market intelligence.

Consequently, many popular web tools help businesses look at various news sites, RSS feeds, blogs, wikis and other specialized services to help extract more value from the volumes of market information available.

And for those who are already intel-savvy, more sophisticated tools exist to leverage the open-source capabilities of specialized search services.

Let me share with you an example of how one company has jumped in to reap the benefits of these new technologies. Catalyzed by the need to gain a definitive competitive edge over their traditional rivals, a real-estate development company decided to launch a comprehensive competitive intelligence program. The program started with a competitive environment assessment under the guidance of an outside expert, followed by profiling competitors and the creation of an analysis framework to clearly identify what they want to know and why they want to know it.

Using commonly available search and syndication technologies, the company then built a content portal that collects streams of information about their competitors from blogs, wikis and various social network sources. Armed with a wealth of information and select analysis tools such as business war game, the project team embarked on the path of gaining better insights into their competitive landscape. Well, guess who got the upper hand in the next big contract?

Naturally, justifying the investment in any such web tools requires a hard look at the degree of importance the business places on being able to manage environmental risks, as well as the level and degree of uncertainty that is inherent in the specific industry.

For example, if your market is stable and rather easy to predict, you may not see the value in a market-intelligence gathering tool. If, however, the last 10 years are any indication of what is to come, even stable industries will change sooner rather than later – so perhaps taking action with this kind of web tool might be worth considering. Just keep in mind that the key to choosing the right tool is not to focus too much on the technology – how it works – but rather what it actually does, and how easily it can be doing it for you.

Consider this: you are currently in a position to take advantage of a wide variety of rapidly maturing web tools to boost employee productivity, keep your operational costs down, or reach out to your clients, partners and staff around the globe.

But to effectively harness the power of any of the web tools out there, it is critical that you shift your perspective to think about the internet as a resource for working easier, better and smarter. Ask yourself how these tools can innovate your services and business processes, and cultivate a cultural adaptability to the positive transformations that web tools can stimulate.

So don’t be put off by the hype only to miss out on the help. Somewhere out there is a web tool with your name on it, and with a solid awareness of your requirements, a little research and an innovative perspective, it can be yours to command.

When people think about branding, most think of brand leaders such as Coca-Cola or Nike. The reason? They have a sharp logo, a catchy slogan, and a powerful mission statement coupled with big-time advertising and lots of buzz. But is that all there is to branding?

Naturally, logos, slogans, and PR help communicate your message to the marketplace, but they alone do not a brand make. In fact, a brand is simply what people think about you based on the promises you make. And these promises are made real through the countless positive interactions between you and the market, delivered by your people, products and services.

So, while all the “goodies” of branding do indeed play their role, they are only the “bricks” of the branding structure – without strong mortar to hold them all together, branding efforts crumble.

We recently came across a company – who shall remain nameless – that spent tons of money and time creating branding goodies in the form of shiny new gold “bricks”: a logo, a clever tagline, beautifully printed brochures and even a brand messaging binder. The net effect of these efforts?

• The operational folks think it’s all propaganda and a waste of time & money.
• The President is out delivering proud, passionate speeches on their brand virtues, but prospective customers still see their offerings as just another commodity.
• When asked to explain the company’s own brand, every single employee had a different response!

Clearly, something went horribly wrong. Or did it? Or course not. They just overlooked the key ingredient. PR? Nope. More money? Unh-unh. Well then….yup: the mortar.

So where can you see these bricks & mortar? Well, I’ll bet there is just such a place within 5km or so of where you are right now. Really. And it’s called Home Depot!

That’s right, the company that started with 2 fellows and some bright ideas that has grown into a worldwide phenomenon. And how do you think they did it? By paying very close attention to their own “bricks & mortar” …no, not just the stuff they sell, the stuff they ARE!

They understand that the people behind their products and services are the mortar that holds all their “bricks” together; their people are the ones who deliver on their brand promise. Everything Home Depot does can be traced back, directly or indirectly, to some action or decision that was taken or made by an employee or group of employees. And that’s why with the support, buy-in, and conviction of their people, their brand continues to be healthy, strong, and clearly very useful for generating revenue.

So how does an undeniably successful & powerful brand like Home Depot ensure that their employees actively deliver on their unique brand promise in a consistent manner? Quite simply, they keep their mortar strong with internal brand consistency and alignment, by: 1. Having every employee and representative truly understand their brand promise.

1. Having every employee and representative truly understand their brand promise.

The initial role their brand played as their company was being launched remains the most important: gaining mindshare. Home Depot utilizes their brand as their central organizing principle for doing business: they are clear on their values, where they’re going as a company, what they’re doing to get there and how uniquely they’re doing it – all key ingredients of strong mortar.

2. Having every employee recognize how their own behavior shapes the customers’ brand experience.

Home Depot knows that increasing employee engagement drives improved customer satisfaction. Period. So they make their brand engagement experience meaningful, immersive, and highly interactive through their training programs, community activities, and even corporate picnics. By communicating frequently and consistently the values and behaviors that reflect their brand promise, they are helping their employees both understand and reinforce their brand.

3. Having every employee fully engaged in delivering on their brand promise.

Home Depot ensures that their employees see the direct connection between the company’s promise and their own obligation to deliver value. How? By integrating their brand messaging throughout their service delivery process: allowing their people to challenge & improve the way processes are run, participate in how operations are understood, and influence how Home Depot interacts with their customers. In encouraging each employee’s full engagement in the Home Depot brand, their brand and it’s promise come alive.

A Final Word

Want your branding structure to deliver real value to your business? Make sure that, just like Home Depot, your “bricks” are all well-integrated, bonded together by the elastic yet indestructible mortar of your people’s willingness & ability to deliver on your brand promise.

Remember that people want to contribute, not just conform. When your employees really believe in what your company stands for, how it operates and what it presents to your customers, when your brand’s messaging permeates every part of your service delivery value chain, you are guaranteed to reap the benefits of a strong, healthy and powerful brand.

(see this article on Make it Business magazine)