My brand? I never thought about that before…

If you ever said that, you’re not alone. There are many times when we go into a discovery meeting and as soon we start discussing a client’s brand, we get a blank stare.

Don’t beat yourself up. Unknowingly you have already developed a brand for your company, now it’s just a matter of understanding it and making intentional changes if needed.

So what IS your brand?

It’s that feeling your company evokes in your customers. It’s everything all rolled into that one perception. Everything your clients have heard, seen or experienced about your company.

What it’s NOT is your services. It’s beyond concrete information about your company or employees, but rather, what does the entire experience mean to your customer’s perception of your company?

It’s easy to overwhelm your audience which really puts that perception at risk. That’s why it’s so important to be focused and most importantly, consistent.

How do you hone in your brand?

Ask questions. Ask your audience, and ask yourself. Compare the answers and improve areas that muffle your desired perception. Here are some sample questions from our own Discovery Worksheet that can help you understand the key drivers of your brand and what your perceptions should be tailored to:

1. Who is the audience (i.e. occupation, gender ratio, average age, nationality/location, lifestyle preferences, etc.)?
2. Who are your competitors?
3. How do you want to set yourself apart?
4. What are some words that describe the current overall perception of your brand?
5. In what ways does this differ from the desired overall perception of your brand?
6. What are some words that describe what you don’t want your brand perception to be?
7. What is the main message you want to portray?
8. How do my current logo, website, marketing materials, storefront and business practices affect that message?
9. What is the common thread that all of your business practices are based on (i.e. following through, doing the right thing, customer happiness, over servicing)?

Is any of this even important?

It is if you want people to pay attention to you. A good brand gets attention because there is a concise factor of interest that pulls your audience in and guides them to understanding. What is that factor of interest? It’s the foundation of what makes your company an individual.

Noodle on that for a while.