Just put your logo on it
I feel the need to wake a few people up. It’s 2019 and branding is a profession now. Let’s start with what a brand actually is and what that says about your activities.
Wikipedia defines it like this: “A brand is a name, term, design, symbol or any other feature that identifies one seller’s good or service as distinct from those of other sellers.” This sounds true, right? But we need to collectively call BS on this, because it is not even 10% of what a brand is.
Let’s not pretend that when you put your logo on a t-shirt or a coffee mug that you are the proud owner of a brand. That may have been the case when people started branding products and when Madmen-like advertising guru’s were able to project brand concepts and messages into consumer’s minds. But since then people and the field of branding have evolved.
“Your brand is not what you say it is. It is what they say it is”, thank you Mr. Marty Neumeier for clearing that up. Or as Jeff Bezos puts it ”Your brand is what other people say about you when you’re not in the room.” Great! What does it mean for you? I hate to break it to you but it means that your work has just gotten a little harder but also far more interesting.
If your brand is defined by how your audience feels about your brand, then the art of brandingis all about influencing their gutfeeling. Is influencing — see how I’m not using the word controling here, the best we can do? Yes, it’s the best you can do!
Maybe now is the time to get intentional about everything you can do that has potential to influence people’s guts. Maybe now is the time to start looking yourself in the brand-mirror and see yourself clearly, becoming the brand-personality you truly are.
If you have trouble seeing yourself clearly, then don’t go spreading confusing messages. There is people that can help. In my next blog I will provide a tool that functions as a first aid kit. I promise.
When you are lost, go back to the beginning. That’s always better than to start selling snake-oil, lose a ton of money on advertising or putting your logo on random things.
