“Don’t be everywhere like paint. Be in the exact right place like a painting.” ~ Raj Girn

Hi Friends,

Ever thought why some companies are synonymous with success, while others just cannot seem to get off the ground. And why some companies that were once successful, are seeing a steady decline despite having been around for a long time? In a word: “Branding”. Let me explain . . . 

Companies that fail at branding usually do so because they think it’s as simple as having a logo, tagline, and colour palette. These are helpful of course, because they allow people to recognize the brand, but recognizing it doesn’t make it memorable. 

In order to remember something, you have to have an emotional interaction with it. Yes, I said “with it”, because a memory exists due to having had a connection on some level, and connections are created by communicating (refer to last week’s newsletter for an explanation on effective communications). This is true whether the memory is a good or bad one, because both induce a feeling that is predicated on emotions, and there’s nothing more memorable than how something made you feel.  

Let me use an analogy. Think about branding like a painting, where the paint is the logo, tagline, and colour palette, i.e., the “stuff” that is used to create the painting. The painting is the “story” that the stuff creates to communicate something to the onlooker, who connects with it (or not). 

How effectively you tell the story and to whom, is directly related to the impact of your brand and in turn, to the bottom line. 

To ensure that you get your branding right, here are the 6 questions that you need to ask yourself in order to hit a home run every time you go to market: 

What is your . . .

– Brand vision (what you do and who you serve),

– Brand values (what you stand for),

– Brand story (who you are),

– Brand identity (style guide),

– Brand equity (trust with consumer),

– Brand legacy (loyalty from the consumer).

“If people believe they share values with a company, they will stay loyal to the brand.” ~ Howard Schultz, CEO, Starbucks

If branding is something that you are challenged with or something that you hadn’t thought about until you read my missive here, but now feel like you’d like to know more about how I can help you level up in this regard, send me an email to set up a free, no obligation call and let’s explore how I can assist you with your intended goal: [email protected]. 

Words to ponder . . .

“Always work with people who are already where you want to go, because chances are that they can get you there faster.” ~ Raj Girn 

Until next time.