The 6foot4 truths of branding
There are more than five true things about branding but we feel that most of them fit under these five. These are at the core of our approach, and by embracing them you have a better chance of doing something that matters.
1. Your Brand is not what you say it is. It’s what they think it is.
This is fundamental. Your brand is the collection of the thoughts about you. These thoughts may be vastly different based on the experiences people have had with you but all are a part of the brand. You ultimately have no control over what people think of you, but you can give them every opportunity to think the right things. You do this by forming a strong, honest foundation to base these thought-shaping opportunities.
2. Great Brands are formed around who you are and not what you do.
Your identity is the foundation for your Brand. You can not fool people by saying you are something you are not. As soon as they have an experience that is inconsistent with what you say their thinking will be changed. The only way to assure that the experiences people have with you are consistent is to base them on the core of who you are. How many organizations do you know that are communicating exactly who they are?
Chances are other organizations are offering similar products or services to yours. You can try to differentiate with what typically boils down to simple gimmicks but people will see through those. The biggest difference you have to offer is You. Be yourself.
3. A Brand is not a logo.
Your logo and everything else about you is just part of the experience. These tools are all opportunities to clearly communicate who you are but are not the Brand themselves. Over time they come to represent something; they represent an unspoken understanding of who you are and what you stand for.
4. Your Brand grows and changes based on the experiences people have with you.
The more consistent experiences you deliver, the more solid their understanding will be of who you are. Over time the Brand becomes something they feel they can trust. If the experiences are inconsistent, the Brand will change and be less reliable and less trustworthy.
Everything is an experience: your logo, your website, your business environment, the way you answer the phone, the events you hold, the products you make, the services you provide, your marketing vehicles, your advertising, every encounter. Craft these experiences to communicate who you are.
5. People will choose your organization, product or service if who you are aligns with who they are.
By delivering honest and consistent experiences people will gain a better understanding of who you are and what you care about. If the values you exude are shared with the people interacting with you they will want to align themselves with you. We all like to feel validated in the way we think and want to find kindred spirits.
If you are truly going to touch people at the belief level you need to be brutally honest about who you are and not try to cover up any flaws in the experiences you offer. Fix the flaws you can and embrace those you can’t. People will appreciate your honesty; it is refreshing and admirable.