Nick Fong, chief marketing officer and chief technology officer of AP Equipment Financing, believes there’s no secret sauce to brand positioning beyond a deceptively simple strategy of transparency and consistency. He measures every piece of communication against a basic, recurring test: does it represent AP’s brand motto, “The Power of Personal?”

To validate brand image and ensure consistency to AP consumers, Fong leans on public customer reviews as an honest, independent litmus test for the brand, treating them as confirmation of AP’s promise and a way to course- correct when needed.

“A brand truly stands out when the values of the company are authentic, sincere and fully permeated throughout the entire organization,” Fong says. “Consumers have become hyper-aware of insincerity and have little patience for broken brand promises.”