On Brand Series Recap
Thanks for following along and gaining some knowledge about being On Brand; here is the whole series in case you missed anything along with way. Watch for the next series coming soon.
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What does it mean to be On Brand?
My brand is a means of communication between myself and other people. In fact, my brand is more important than anything else in this world. Many things make up a person's brand or identity: appearance, background, education level, family history, etc. But none of those things matter when you meet you for the first time. This is the same as your business's brand, identity, and image.
For example, if I tell someone that, along with my business partner Greg that, we own and operate a marketing and creative agency but do not mention we also share a common love of lakes, boating, and all things related to Minnesota outdoors and water sports (or even worse yet if they find out after meeting me), then there is no way we would ever connect on a deeper level. You see, something was missing from our conversation. If, however, after talking with me for a while, this person finds out that we share a common love for Minnesota lakes, then suddenly, something else is connecting us besides our potential business relationship.
Being On Brand is being authentic and consistent. Over the next 12 weeks, we will share a series of short posts and information that helps answer the question, what does it mean to be On Brand?
How can companies and individuals build a clear and consistent brand?
You have a brand if you're a person or a company. If you need clarification on what that means, it's okay; the first step to clear and consistent branding is knowing that your brand exists in the first place.
Once you've identified your brand—whether it was intentional or not!—here are some tips for keeping it clear and consistent:
Be Authentic
Your customers should know who they're dealing with when they contact your company or receive one of your products. There must be clarity about what kind of experience they can expect from doing business with someone or something as simple as an email address on an invoice.
Be Consistent
Consistency will help reinforce the authenticity of your brand because people want to feel like they're getting reliable information from someone they trust (and not being tricked by anyone). This means striking a balance between two seemingly opposing forces: consistency vs. flexibility, predictability vs. surprise, and safety vs. adventure.
The most important thing to understand about your brand is your goals.
To understand your brand, you must look at it from all sides. This means understanding your goals as a company, your brand and how people perceive it, what customers want and expect from you, what competitors are doing in the space, and how your company is being run daily.
The most important thing to understand about your brand is your goals. The more defined these goals become (and the more aligned they are with customer preferences), the easier it will be for you to build a compelling identity for yourself and communicate that identity clearly across all channels—from marketing materials to social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook or Instagram or Twitter."
Four Things a Company needs to be "on brand."
For my fourth message in the On Brand Series, we have a list of four things for your knowledge base; see what we did there?
It means that the company is consistently communicating its values.
It means that the company is using its brand to communicate its values.
It means that the company is using its brand to communicate its mission.
It means that the company is using its brand to communicate its goals.
Trust and Consistency are Key to an Authentic Brand
Trust is important. Customers trust brands that are authentic, consistent, and reliable. They also tend to trust people more than other marketing materials, including advertisements and commercials. If you want your customers to believe in your brand, let them see who you really are by sharing stories about how people use your product or service.
Consistency is key—consumers often evaluate the credibility of a company based on its track record of reliability and quality over time, so if something happens unexpectedly (such as a glitch caused by an error), it may erode the consumer's perception of trustworthiness for some time afterward (even if no harm was intended). But suppose there's consistency among experiences with a business or product line over time. In that case, consumers will develop positive associations between those experiences, which can lead them back again when they need similar products/services down the road."
How do customers figure out who's being real and who isn't?
How do customers figure out who's being real and who isn't? At first glance, a brand is simply an image or idea that consumers have about the products or services of a company. But when we dig deeper into this notion of "brand awareness," we find something more profound: A well-defined brand becomes an outward expression of how people feel about themselves.
For example, social media users can often tell when someone is just trying to sell them something by giving off fake vibes—and those same users can recognize authenticity when they see it. That's why companies like Zappos make customer service such a high priority; they know that their most important asset isn't necessarily their product, but their relationship with their customers—and these relationships are built on trust, loyalty, and mutual respect.
You could have a great product, but you need a good name to notice you.
You've got a product that will change the world, and you want everyone to know about it. You may have spent time and money building up your business so that people will be excited when they find out about it. But you will only notice if you have a good name for your company or product.
A name is important because it gives people something easy to remember and talk about with friends (and potential customers). It also establishes an identity for your company or product that others can recognize and understand immediately. Conversely, choosing a lousy name can lead people to think poorly of what you're trying to do—like if someone thinks "Xerox" means "to copy" instead of "to photocopy."
But getting the correct name isn't enough; once you choose one, make sure it stays consistent across all platforms: website domain names, marketing materials like flyers/posters/brochures/etc., social media profiles including Facebook pages and Twitter handles... everything needs its own unique URL! This ensures there will always be clarity between similar-sounding brands online or at events like conferences where many companies share booths, showcasing their innovation in similar fields of work with similar audiences attending those events too.
Brands must communicate a specific thing to their customers.
A brand is a promise you make to your customers about what you will do for them. It’s how you want them to view your company, and it’s how they may choose to interact with it. Your brand says, “We are this kind of organization. We are committed to this type of product or service, and if you buy from us, here's what will happen."
Your brand also communicates something about who works there: “We hire people like me—smart, hardworking individuals who have skills in X and Y." The more specific your message is about the product or service being offered and the type of person behind it (not just the actual employee but also their interests), the more likely people will respond positively toward that message.
Companies need to be brands that speak in the way their customers speak.
So what comes to mind when thinking about a brand like Starbucks? The first thing is an urban scene with many people on laptops, drinking coffee, and having meetings. That’s their voice! That’s what Starbucks customers want when they speak about meeting someone for a quick coffee meeting.
You can see this from the moment you enter one of their stores; the font on their signs is clean and straightforward—you can read it from across the room—and there are plenty of outlets for those needing to charge up their batteries before heading back out into the world. They know what they’re good at by being consistent in everything they do: making delicious drinks (and not just coffee), providing comfortable spaces where people want to spend time with friends or family members...and even offering free wi-fi, so you stay connected while enjoying your drink!
Customer service is another way companies can demonstrate their brand values.
Customer service is another way companies can demonstrate their brand values. It doesn't matter how great your products or services are. If customers don't feel like they're valued as people and not just as money-earning assets, you won't be able to establish a connection with them. The best companies have already figured this out: customer service is an extension of your branding efforts.
Think about it—what makes you feel good when you experience good customer service from a company? Is it the product itself? Or is it the interaction with someone at that company? If you're like most people, I'm willing to bet that interacting with another person made all the difference for you.
If this sounds familiar and maybe even obvious... well... yeah! But still important enough to mention again: excellent customer service can build trust between consumers and brands, which leads many buyers back into stores repeatedly (and ultimately increases sales).
Don't worry so much about whether or not you're original.
Not everyone can be a Plaid Moose, but everyone can be unique.
Being original is not a goal. It is a byproduct of having a clear vision and starting with the end in mind. The more concentrated your vision, the more unique your brand will become.
It's important to remember that all brands are a series of choices that lead up to one specific outcome: how your company is perceived by customers, employees, and investors alike. These choices represent the personality of the people behind them and their intended intent—which can either reinforce or contradict those personalities at any given time.
The best companies know that branding is not just something you figure out over lunch.
Branding, It’s the company's reputation, it’s the public perception of your organization, and it's what people think when they think of your company.
A brand is not just a logo or slogan; it's much more than that.
In its simplest form, branding is what you say about yourself versus what people say about you—or better yet, what people say about themselves when they use your products or services. If we could all be so lucky!
