Christian Bale is by far the best batman…sorry, Michael. Dark Knight is one of the better movies I’ve seen this year. In preparation for the movie, I had to go back and watch Batman Begins yet again just to get in the mood, of course. The key line of the movie…the moral of the story, I suppose…caught my attention.

As Batman saves Rachael, and she asks his name, he repeats back to her a statement she’d made to him years before.

“It’s not who I am underneath, but what I do that defines me.”

This is, of course, a theme oft-repeated in almost all of the world’s major religions. E.g.- “you will know them by their fruit.”

Now, the obvious connection here on this blog is, clearly, that it’s the experience you create for your consumers that ultimately defines your brand. Forget the bloated annual ad budgets. Consumers know you by what you do…or, more to the point, by the experience you create.

But let’s go a little deeper. I use vague pronouns such as “you”. And, by “you”, I mean the owner of the business or the president or the CEO or whatever…since that’s most often who we deal directly with at Mojoloco. BUT…is it really “you” that’s creating the experience? Is it really “you” that’s telling the story, building consumer relationships, creating memories in the market? Is it really “you” that’s working to shape perception and define your brand?

OR…is it your employees? More specifically, your receptionist that greets customers in the lobby? Your support call center that hides behind 20 minutes of digital voice recordings? Your janitorial staff that cuts corners and fails to clean the conference room the night before the big meeting? That lady in accounting that keeps the thermostat set on 80 so that your customers are sweating by the time they leave?

OR…even more frightening…

Is it the disgruntled customer that hangs up the phone after a not-so-pleasant conversation with your receptionist or call center? The overseas distributor that views a dirty floor as a sign of a poorly run business? The hot-natured vendor who’s had to sweat through price negotiations in a stifling meeting room?

All of these things are, of course, ultimately viewed and perceived as YOUR actions. After all, you’re the CEO, the Big Cheese, the Old Man. The buck stops when the consumer’s boot connects with your backside.

Marketing is a battle of perception, not products. So, it doesn’t matter if your product or service is the greatest thing ever…it doesn’t matter if your operation is as efficient as a new water hose…it doesn’t matter…none of it.

If you lose touch or fail to keep a firm grasp on what YOU do, then it’s all just a house of cards. And it will come tumbling down. Make it a regular practice to come down from your ivory tower and mingle with your minions. They are an extension of YOU. Best be sure they’re reflecting YOUR values.

It’s not who you are underneath, but what YOU do that defines you.