HOW STRONG IS YOUR FOUNDATION?
What’s the most important element of any creation or endeavour? Your foundation.
Without a solid foundation, even the strongest structure can founder, topple and fall.
Your brand is literally the most important thing you have.
WE’VE COME A LONG WAY BABY
Did you know? The original use for the word, “brand,” referred to marks burned into cattle and sheep to identify the owner. Yes. Times have changed.
Since we [generally] don’t plan on burning marks into the necks of staff, clients or suppliers, it’s a good idea to keep up with what branding really means. Yes. This really, really, really important.
Because, too many treatments of the term, “brand,” still adhere to the idea of a simple mark and focus on “mark”eting. But brand is so much more important.
WHY IS BRANDING THE FOUNDATION OF YOUR BUSINESS?
BRAND is the foundation of everything.
Think of your Brand as your DNA…
Your brand is the fabric and identity of everything. And it is the crucial foundation for all things in your business.
COMMUNICATING YOUR BRAND…
Let’s play a quick game…
Knock knock
“Who’s there?”
I’m not sure…
And the opportunity slips away.
Because, how can anyone buy anything from you if they don’t even know who you are?!?
Your brand (as you create & communicate it) defines everything you represent to your clients, your prospects, your suppliers, your banker, your employees, your leadership team and everyone who comes into contact with your business.
If you fail to develop your brand proactively then you will find it is created it for you by others.
YOUR BRAND & MARKETING
But your brand is much more than just marketing. It touches everything from strategy to vision to finance, operations, culture, customer service, management and leadership.
Your marketing initiatives bring people into contact with your brand. Your sales & customer service teams connect directly with people to close and keep business. But your brand informs the message. And in order to express that message you need to be able to articulate what your brand means.
Your prospects will know what to expect. Your clients will sing praises of you fulfilling your promise of brand experience. You team will know what to do and how to do it. Your identity and everything you stand for will flow up and down and throughout your business. Brand identity informs all interactions with prospects, clients, suppliers, employees and all who come into contact with your business.
YOUR BRAND & THE 12 BIG QUESTIONS
Because your brand is too important to leave to chance, this is where we ask the BIG QUESTIONS about you and your business. And then we can build your brand and carry it to market…
- How do we want clients to perceive us?
- What are our core values?
- What do we believe in?
- What is our vision?
- What drives our business?
- What are our priorities?
- How do we change the lives of our clients?
- How do we contribute to our community?
- What are our standards?
- How to we maintain those standards?
- What are our ROTG (Rules of the Game) or code of honour?
- What are the goals and objectives we commit to?
Answer each one of these questions and what they truly mean to you.
Imagine your ideals and express them.
These important answers must be a part of you. They represent ideals and they represent the reality that you commit to each and every day inside-and-out.
This is not about image. Image is a cheap façade. Cowards love to hide behind, “image.” Image is weak and brittle and broken as easily as glass in a cheap mirror. This is not image.
Your brand is the foundation of business integrity. This is the core Brand DNA that represents your identity. Your business will run based on this Brand as a touchstone for all things. It is your guiding light and true north star.
Much is made of brand and it’s relation to marketing. But your brand touches everything.
The deeper your understanding is of your Brand, the more powerful your communication will be to your prospects, staff and clients.
So take a moment and answer these questions. Then begin to develop your business.
And keep your business consistently in line with the integrity of your brand
The brand is your DNA. The brand is your rock. The brand is the foundation your entire business is built on. And it is YOURS to create.
Because YOU are in control of what you create here. Make it brave. Make it bold. Make it authentic.
Make it yours! Make it irresistible to the world and your business will leap forward – guaranteed!
