Bhavishi Patel is vice president of experiences and in-house counsel for Rancho Mesquite Casino, Inc., which owns and operates Eureka Casino Resort in Mesquite, Nevada and The Brook in Seabrook, New Hampshire. She came to the Creating Brand Value program at Harvard Business School to, in her own words, "push my boundaries, hone my storytelling skills, and create even greater value—both personally and professionally." Patel shares how she gained the tools to create a successful brand that will help her company continue to grow on a national scale.
Why did you choose to attend Creating Brand Value?
I was intrigued by the description of the course, especially this sentence: "Discover how you can craft, communicate, and manage brands to create stronger value for your company and for consumers." The program curriculum provided exactly the foundational understanding I needed, to delve into the bigger strategic initiatives of our company, which is ultimately going to dictate our branding strategy for the next 30 years.
We're at an interesting point in our company's growth trajectory where defining that deliberate brand strategy is essential. And the program seemed perfectly aligned to provide me with the necessary tools to help in building that strategy.
Did you have any objectives that you were trying to meet in the program? Were they met?
Yes. As part of the senior leadership in my company, we asked ourselves two key questions: "Do our brands have significance in the markets in which we operate? And if so, what is the meaning attached to the brands in those respective markets?" And from those answers came larger questions: "Do we need a new brand? Should we have that new brand? Why or why not?"
My key objectives were to learn about the mechanics of creating a successful brand that consumers can develop loyalty toward, specifically in the markets we serve, and then ultimately on a more macro level as we continue to grow on a national scale. I can say without a doubt that 100 percent of my objectives were met by attending this program.
I understand a couple of your colleagues also attended the program. What do you feel is the value of attending as a team?
The value of attending as a team is aligned with one of my key takeaways from the brand. The lens with which people perceive your brand is different, depending on the group. So having the three of us attend the program was great. We were able to do a debrief earlier this week, and we all had the same kind of impressions.
On a more granular level, we were able to pull out slightly more minute items that still will help contribute to the larger strategy. The value of having a team attend is that you're not in isolation when you’re pitching—you're presenting: These are our key takeaways. These are things that we absolutely must do. Three of us are saying that we’re on the same page about this. Let's get it going.
And it's more efficient, right? Because instead of having to get everyone else to buy in after the fact, we have three people who were selected that are going to take the lead on this strategy. They're already synced up and understand the "for what reason."
What key program takeaways are you applying in your professional life today?
I came away with very actionable items, for example, learning that brands have many different values. The functional value of the brand is the primary concern of insiders, the people who provide legitimacy and help add identity to the brand. It became immediately apparent to me that I have significant work to do to identify who our insiders are. What is the meaning that they attach to the brand? That’s our starting point.
The program faculty presented us with a marketing funnel diagram, and at the top of the funnel was building awareness and knowledge of the brand. And from that simple conclusory diagram, it was clear to me that we, as a company, do not spend enough time at the top of the funnel building that awareness and knowledge. We need to shift our focus on building brand equity.
How would you describe the value of the program to somebody who is considering taking it?
It's a completely unique education, unlike any other. You have the opportunity to glean key branding strategies from a wide range of companies, to learn from some of the brightest minds in the country, and to gain a global perspective through the lenses of highly capable participants. Those things in conjunction are powerful.
The camaraderie that you develop is irreplaceable. That to me is the unsung hero of the program: the friendships, the connections, the perspectives that you learn over the course of those four days. I've left the program with lifelong friends and contacts that I can lean on in many different industries across the world, and that is invaluable.
Do you have any advice for someone considering taking the program?
Don't think twice about it—just do it! If you have questions about branding or want to learn how to strengthen and build your brand, the program is absolutely worth the time and dollar commitment. There’s no other experience like it.