Can I let you in on a little secret?
Your brand ...is human.
While this may raise an eyebrow....think about it. Brands are made by humans, run by humans (mostly! I see you, AI) and generally exist to solve problems for other humans.
So...my question to you is...are you viewing your brand as a human?
And, if so, could you easily define it?
For the next few minutes, I invite you to take a look behind the brand strategy curtain. This is the world where we examine your brand like a psychiatrist would psychoanalyze a person.
We ask the existential questions (of your brand): who are you?
What do you do, really? Why do you exist?
Deep questions, made simple...with just a little bit of knowledge and willingness to try something new, your brand can radically transform and connect to people in a myriad of new ways.
Let's dive in!
Secret #1: Your employees are the key to knowing your brand from the inside out.
You've all heard the adage, "you are defined by the company you keep" -- which means your brand is inherently defined by it's employees. Employees breathe in your brand day in and day out. They know what is working, and what's not. They know what makes the company strong, and where there is room for improvement. One of the best ways to tap into that knowledge is to ask them, "what do you believe our brand stands for, honestly?" and step back to watch some pretty amazing answers flood in.
But I get it, this can be challenging to do as the owner of the business. I always suggest to business owners that they give me permission to conduct stakeholder interviews with key employees. As a neutral, non-biased source, I can ask the burning questions, but keep the confidentiality -- all in the name of making the brand and business stronger.
#2: Your customers may know your brand even better than you do.
If you want to know your brand, ask your customers what they think of it. Reviews are a goldmine of information for a brand, customers will honestly tell you what they love (or dislike!) about your business. This uncovers key emotions that people are feeling about your brand, and how people connect to your brand translates into a tangible business impact -- like engagement and loyalty.
Want to connect with customers on a deeper level? Speak to them directly, either through focus groups, additional stakeholder interviews, or even brand surveys to ask targeted questions that will reveal what they really think of your brand and what you offer.
If you sell a product, start examining the reviews through the lens of it being a solution -- who is this product helping the most? How is it being used? How are customers comparing it to other products? This is where the truth of your product, and your brand, comes to life.
#3: To solve a brand identity crisis — go back to your roots.
I have found that brands struggle with understanding their identity at two main phases. The first is when they are just starting their business -- they don't have customer or employee data yet and everything is the great unknown. The other phase is usually after a short plateau... your business may have had successful years but then a dry spell, or a major shift in leadership occurred and its time to reconnect with your brand again.
Think of this as -- a coming-of-age period, or a mid-life crisis. Remember, your brand is human!
For both groups, I love to ask owners their origin story...why did you create this brand? What's special about it to you? Tell me why you created this product/service?
For humans, as well as brands, connecting to your roots helps you to connect back to your identity.
So there you have it...a few brand strategy secrets spilled in the hopes of building stronger, more engaging and authentic brands.
Curious to learn more? Drop me a line, I'd love to connect with you on ways we can make your brand grow and evolve.
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