Industry, World View, Process, Style, purpose
Branding, branding, branding…. Well, I love it! Do you?
Do you feel like… I hear about this all the time…people saying how important it is. But I just don’t know if I need a brand or even really know what it entails …?
Brand and branding are broad terms and are thrown around a lot. It’s often times confusing and hard to know what they really mean. For instance, sometimes I don’t even know what people are specifically offering when they say they are a brand specialist, brand coach, etc.
The thing is branding encompasses a lot, like visual identity, messaging, social platforms, strategy, communication, sense of taste, smell, etc. Yes, all of it. These are all different facets or touch points to a brand.
Branding is the experience you create and are remembered for.
It’s not something that is just reserved for larger companies like Apple, Tesla and Disney. Nor is it only for the hip new companies.
It is for everyone. To express themselves, however they want to.
The chances that you are selling the same service (and feel like everybody is offering exactly what you’re offering) is most likely quite large. So, how do you really set yourself apart?
This is where the beauty of branding comes in. It gives you an opportunity to dive deep to define your what, how and why. And just like you are unique as a person, the different facets you put together to create your company is unique!
Let me explain. You might sell financial advice, lawyering, coaching or whatever service you offer, just like somebody else, BUT how do you offer that service and why? This is where it all changes. (And, even what you offer might, in fact, differ slightly from other businesses like yours.)
This is exactly why I love branding. For me, it’s about understanding and making sure the clients are being understood. It’s about human behavior. Then I get to simplify, organize and prettify it all to create that experience and express it clearly.
Simplify what you are trying to say, so your audience understands.
Organize so your audience can find what they are looking for.
Prettify it so your audience sees you.
My sole purpose is to help you feel confident about bragging about your amazing work and offerings. Because if you didn’t, you would do a disservice to the people who need you the most. Yup, might sound silly, but that’s the truth.
How do you brand yourself or your company?
The simplified version
And as I mentioned, you may sell the same service as another, but there are a plethora of ways to define (and differentiate) your brand. Here are things I look at to help you discover how your brand is different:
Specific Audience – working with a certain segment of the population like doctors or a certain ethnicity
Worldview – an idea your brand stands for such as inclusion
Process – a specific way you execute your service
Style – a certain personality that sets you apart from others such as being witty or bold
Purpose – in today’s society, consumers are more aware than ever and have different expectations from their products and services. Your company’s purpose can and most likely is the thing that really sets you apart.
Why are you in business?
I’m in business to make you seen and heard and, as grandiose as it might sound, to make a greater impact on the world.
