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Thoughtful Branding: Where The Company Begins And Ends

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When entrepreneurs ask me how to best brand their businesses, it always surprises me that their questions are focused on logo creation, website development, and various other marketing tactics. As though the brands around us are only shaped by these elements of marketing and digital presence. But thoughtful branding is more than a sum of the marketing strategies and tactics. In shaping of their brands and their companies entrepreneurs should be very careful to not miss the forest for the trees.

Instead, my advice is to go way back, to look deeper, and to ask yourself some fundamental questions about what your brand stands for and what its purpose is. Because unless you are very clear on the answers to those questions, you will not only be unable to create a strong brand, but to communicate your brand to others as well. You will lose your opportunity to truly connect with your customers and inspire them to join your movement, and ultimately to partner with them on creating something remarkable.

Six questions to ask yourself before jumping straight to marketing strategies:

       1. What is your purpose?

Every company has a purpose, the ultimate reason for existence. When you clearly identify your purpose, or as Simon Sinek would call it your “why?”, defining and communicating who you are and what you are trying to achieve becomes much easier. Not only that, when your purpose is clear, it gives a chance to your customers, your partners, your vendors, your employees to feel like they are a part of a tribe, it gives them a much-needed sense of belonging, thus allowing you to build a movement around your purpose.

If you look at companies that enjoyed long-term success, you will notice that their core belief—their purpose—hasn’t changed since companies’ inception. Even though business strategies changed and evolved, the core purpose has stayed consistent. Examples: Ford’s purpose is to “open the highways to all mankind”; Southwest Airlines’ purpose is to provide affordable transportation to the common person; Walt Disney’s purpose is to bring joy to children everywhere; and Coca-Cola’s purpose is to inspire happiness.

Just like the DNA in our bodies, purpose should be the core, the DNA, of a business. And every action of that business should authentically articulate its heritage.

      2. What does your brand stand for?

Your company’s purpose will shape your brand’s values, as well as personality and voice. As you start crafting your marketing messages and building relationships with your customers, it becomes critically important to be true to what you stand for and be authentic in everything you say, and most importantly, everything you do. Younger generations are increasingly aware of companies’ heritage, purpose, and values and use them as a north star in deciding what brands they want to support and buy from.

Outlining your brand’s personality and voice should be a part of the brand and marketing choices you make.

      3. What are your brand values?

Defining, and most importantly, communicating your values (internally and externally) is critical. As you drive towards your goals and grow your business, having a solid list of values that would help drive key decisions (either large or small) is extremely helpful. Core values don’t have to be all things to all people, rather they must be specific and authentic to who you are. They need to demonstrate who you are, not who you want to be.

You’ve probably heard about Zappos and their list of 10 values and that they refer back to them as the company evolves and hiring/management/business decisions are being made.

At BRANDERATI we have not only designed our own values (see image on the right), but we also displayed them on our website so that not only our employees but our customers are aware of who we are and what they should expect from our team.

       4. What is the culture you want to nurture?

The culture you will create internally will have a direct impact on your company’s reputation externally. If you think your brand’s reputation is made out of the marketing messages you create, think again. Your reputation is what your customers (and partners and employees, for that matter) are saying about you when you are not in the room. And it is very visible when employees are not passionate about the brand they work for.

Tony Hsieh says: “For individuals, character is destiny. For organizations, culture is destiny.” So put as much effort, if not more, into building the right culture as you are into marketing your brand. Because no amount of creative marketing will overshadow the lack of a strong culture or create internal and external passion that the right culture can ignite. And in some cases, your culture can become your organic marketing. Zappos, for example, does very little marketing. They mostly grow through organic word-of-mouth and advocacy created by their employees and their customers who admire brand’s strong values and amazing service those values inspire.

       5. How are you institutionalizing your culture?

Culture is a commitment, not a poster on the wall. It’s not about putting your purpose, values, and culture on paper and hanging it in the office. You need to put an effort into institutionalizing your culture and ensuring that it permeates every aspect of your business. And that’s not an easy task, but the one worth prioritizing.

And then the question comes…

      6. How will you communicate who you are?

If I had a dime for every email or live pitch I get that talks up a company or a service without giving me a clear understanding of why I should invite this company to be a part of my tribe, I would be rather rich by now. Clearly stated purpose (what is your company’s mission), benefit statement (utility), reason why it’s important to me (relevance and resonance), and clear call to action are critical elements to include when you are telling your story to others, either through a website, an email, or your social properties. When you know who you are and what you are trying to achieve and you communicate your story crisply, it is easy to build relationships and uncover opportunities.

      In closing…

To create an authentic and strong brand others can relate to you need to clearly identify your purpose, create a robust culture, stand by your values and act on them every single day, and authentically communicate with your customers through building tribes that amplify your shared passions. It’s not a one-time marketing exercise, it’s a mentality. And it’s a journey worth taking.

Illustration credit: Kelly Kingman of Kingman Ink