7 Simple Secrets of Successful Brands
If you think about the most recognizable brands in the world, some of
the first things that may come to mind are the logos of Coke,
McDonald’s, Google, BMW, etc. Contrary to popular belief, branding is not
a logo. Although the logo is the most visible symbol of a brand, it
takes much more than just one graphic to build a sustainable brand. The
simplest way to define branding is: YOUR REPUTATION.
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Branding is not what you say you are, it’s what your clients and
customers say you are. And it’s not just for the Big Boys. If you’re a
small business or an individual building your personal brand, the
following principles apply to you too:
1. Be Authentic. I first learned about Jai Stone when I
saw an interview she did with Bishop T.D. Jakes. Jai is an accomplished
brand consultant, speaker, and blogger, who, before that interview, had
avoided live television appearances because of her issues with her
weight. In a post-interview video, she admitted that she had to come to
terms with being real about her weight loss challenges in order for her
to practice what she was preaching, which she calls “Emotional Nudity.”
Being “real” has garnered her a fast-growing following. Decide you’re
going to make authenticity and transparency part of your reputation and
watch how it translates into long-term success.
2. Be clear: Nike has become
known for its clear, compelling message: Just Do It. Swoosh. With all
the choices your audience has—especially with globalization and
technology making competition more accessible to the masses—it’s even
more important that your message is simple, but compelling; as well as
clear, and aligned with your mission. A whole bunch of technical jargon
doesn’t make you sound smarter, it makes you sound confused and…boring.
Take the time to craft a simple message that speaks clearly to your brand’s mission. Just do it.
3. Be passionate:
In this age of technology where bad reviews of your brand spread like
wildfire, it’s critical that your passion shines through in everything
you do. Zappos has built a solid reputation as a company that is
passionate about the customer experience. Zappos’ CEO, Tony Hsieh was so
passionate about serving his customers, he entitled his 2010 book: Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose. Passion
is at the heart of his company’s brand. And it’s paid off: in a span of
less than 15 years, the company has grossed $2 billion/year and is
heralded for its obsession with great customer service. How is your
brand demonstrating what you’re most passionate about?
4. Be different:
We could all take a page from Apple’s book of branding. I remember when
the first Apple computer came out. The company quickly established
their product as the innovative alternative to DOS computers. Then Apple
came on the brink of bankruptcy in the 1990’s when a series of bad
decisions and internal power struggles threatened the company's
profitability. Innovation once again saved the day when the now-iconic
iMac was released in 1998. And the rest, they say, is history. When I
posted the following on my Twitter page: “The world needs you to stop being boring, according to #KidPresident. A pep talk you need to watch: http://t.co/Z1i9e5htn9”,
I received the following response from a follower: “Really?” My
response back: “Boring = Extinction. Innovation + business are moving at
such a fast pace, you have to be in constant motion.” Be bold. Be
different. Be you.
5. Be engaged: I read an
article about how New Jersey Senator, Cory Booker, won his historical
seat in 2013 partly due to his extensive use of social media to engage
with his constituents. He’s quick to address issues that come up on his
Twitter channel and is a master at communicating with his “customers.”
He’s made engagement a core brand value: something that helped him make
history as New Jersey’s first African American U.S. Senator. We’ve all
heard horror stories of brands gone bad when they’ve either ignored
customer complaints or decided (unwisely) to be disrespectful in the
online space. Don’t be one of them.
6. Be in the know:
Successful brands keep their finger on the pulse of what's happening in
their industry—and even outside of it. They study global trends, pay
attention to demographic shifts and observe changes in their customers'
tastes to stay current. Brands that ignore trends risk becoming
irrelevant very quickly. With social media sites like Twitter, it makes
it easy to see what's trending —allowing you to adjust your products and
services to meet current demand.
7. Be consistent:
Of all of the secrets to successful brands, this is probably the one I
find folks violating the most. How do you have a business card that has
one logo and a different set of colors and fonts than your web site or
your brochure? We underestimate the importance of consistency when
building a brand. Take Target for example: anytime you see a Target ad,
before you see the logo or the name, you know who it’s for. There’s a
reason companies spend so much money building and protecting their
brands: it has a direct impact on the bottom line.
At
the end of the day, smart branding is about investing time and
resources into all the above over a prolonged period of time. Think of
it as an investment that will pay dividends in the long run. Your bottom
line will thank you!
What other fundamentals of building successful brands you would add to this list?
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