Your brand is what people think you are. It answers the questions, “How you are expert?”, “How are you different?”, and “Why are you valued?” Successful brands are authentic, differentiated, and consistent.
Brands are authentic when they are real and natural. Fabricated brands seldom live for long. No pretense or fibs allowed here. You cannot make up a brand since a brand must have integrity to be believed. When a brand is based on falsehoods or exaggerations, no one will believe you, nor will they continue to buy from you. Not for long anyway.
Brands are differentiated when they say what is unique or special about the business or product. A differentiated brand answers why and how the firm delivers value. A good brand describes what makes your firm different from the competition. It describes the uniqueness of your product; this is what the customer remembers.
Consistency is the commitment from the brand that the purchase experience will be the same each time. Otherwise, why would anyone buy the same product or service again? Consistency allows the brand to live on beyond the first impression; the hope for the brand is that it will take on a life of its own. Brands can actually outlive the firm or the product. Your target customer knows that each purchase will be the same as the last. Successful brands are reliable.
Your brand is a promise of value that separates you from your peers. Branding is not about building a new image, but it is a statement about your uniqueness. Successful brands know their target market; they know what the customer needs. They deliver.
What is your brand?
John Bradley Jackson
© Copyright 2008 All rights reserved.