Now that you’ve created your brand’s skeleton (why you exist, what you do, who you are/who you help, and how you do it) it’s time to bring the rest of your ideas to life!
Today I’ll be sharing with you how to effectively create and communicate what your brand believes in and what it’s all about! Excited? Me too. Let’s get this show on the road.
And people are like brands. Imagine your brand as a human being. We all have our own set of beliefs and values that reflect our individuality among the sea of people in the world. It’s the same with brands.
How would you design their identity? There are some core ingredients for building a strong brand identity.
Unsure of the ingredients? Take note on those listed below:
What culture do you want to be a part of?
And the list goes on and on. It’s up to you to decide how you want to present your brand to the world. Want to come off as witty? Sarcastic? Friendly? Helpful? Whatever it is, show don’t tell. It’s one thing to tell others what you’re all about and it’s another thing to show them what you’re all about.
If you need ideas, look at others in your niche to determine how they are engaging their audience. Think about how you can do better and differently.
How does your brand sound to others? How would they speak and dress?
What’s the tone? What’s the speed? What does it talk about? Your voice is the personality and emotion behind your brand’s communications. It includes everything from the words and lingo you use, to the personality and images you use in your marketing and promotional materials.
How do others feel after they interact with you?
Do they feel heard? Happy? Awestruck? Whatever feeling you’re going for, show it! If you want them to feel delighted, make sure you take care of your customers by going above and beyond their expectations.
What would they believe in?
Great brands believe in things they know their audience care about. This makes them more attractive to consumers.
How would they behave culturally?
The current industry demands that brands have strong internal culture and character. What are they known for, how do they act and why do they do it?
What impact do they want to create in the world?
The sky’s the limit. Don’t be afraid to dream too big!
What people would they hang out with?
A brand needs a focus audience, you wouldn’t play metal music at a Britney Spears concert, would you? Be clear and concise with who you’re speaking to.
What impact would they leave on people?
Why is your brand a better choice than your long list of competitors? The best brands find new and creative ways to impact their primary clientele.
Here’s a beautiful graphic to help you visualize what I mean.
As the legendary Bruce Lee once said:
“Empty your mind. Be formless. Shapeless. Like water. Now, you put water into a cup. It becomes the cup. You put water into a bottle, it becomes the bottle. You put it into a teapot, it becomes the teapot. Now... water can flow or it can crash. Be water, my friend.”
How does this tie in with your brand? Let me explain.
Is your branding rigid?
Rigid (adjective) = Unable to bend or be forced out of shape; not flexible.
OR
Is your brand like water?
Water (noun) = Able to move quickly and easily with the least resistance.
Are you fighting the marketplace? Or are you adapting to the marketplace?
Now, naturally, the marketplace is a forever-changing climate. Rigid brands are companies that are slow or resistant to changing their identity, in relation to the change in their target audience’s behavior.
Fluid brands are companies that are fast in making changes. They’re ready to adapt their identity accordingly, with the change in their target audience’s behavior.
Rigid brands find it difficult to fit and meet the demands of the marketplace as they’re unwilling to adapt and change.
Fluid brands are adaptive and agile. When the marketplace changes, they change with it. This gets you a far greater and bigger piece of the pie known as market share.
Being mild with your branding is no longer the safest option. It’s now more important than ever for a brand to have a voice!
In 2015 Doritos did something very bold with their brand. They launched rainbow chips in support of a gay pride rally.
They got massive positive PR from their target audience, young Millenials. They were then promoted for free when the media went crazy over the idea. Doritos made it ok for brands to express their social opinions.
“We’re really trustworthy”
“We’re really authentic”
“We’re experts at what we do”
Boring....how many times have you heard that before? It’s vague and lacks flavor.
“We celebrate all humans without exception”
“Take what you love to another level”
“We exist for the bold”
Wow! Now that’s a lot more memorable and impactful than “we’re really authentic”, isn’t it?
To summarize, your brand is like a person. It’s up to you to decide how you want your brand to think, feel, present itself and engage with others. Remember to be unique in your own way and shoot for the stars. Avoid being vague and sounding generic. The more specific you are, the better. Brand with attitude!
Develop your brand personality, voice, beliefs, mission, and feelings by answering these questions:
Now that you have a deeper and better understanding of how you can create your brand’s identity and personality from scratch, it’s time to once again, TAKE ACTION and get to writing! You’re well on your way to building something magnificent and impactful. Remember, Rome wasn’t built in a day. Great things take time.
Until the next post, I’ll leave you off with this quote by Julian Rotondo - “Brands that are intriguing, confident, and brave stand out from the crowd.”
You’re awesome! Thanks for reading until the end. Have a wonderful rest of your day and let’s keep on making money moves!
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