Think about the biggest names of the past century: Coca-Cola, Disney, The Beatles, Michael Jackson, John Wayne, etc. What do they have in common? Why do they stick in our minds? Why are they icons?
These questions have everything to do with the way we present ourselves, the way we market our companies, and the way we reach out to the world around us.
The answers lie in the subject of branding.
In today’s hyper-saturated, hyper-marketed and hyper-advertised world, branding is everything. Think about it: Every day people are bombarded with a billion messages and ideas telling them to do or think different things. That’s a lot of clutter. How do you cut through? How do you rise above?
Whether you’re an individual marketing yourself to prospective employers or a company engaging in a multimillion-dollar international product launch, branding it crucial. It’s how people differentiate you from your competitors. It’s how you stand out. It’s how you make your image “sticky” in the minds of consumers.
Branding is how you present your most valuable asset: you.
Avoid the Trap of “Me-Too” Marketing
Often in creating a brand, the temptation is to look around and see what others are doing that seems successful and try to copy them. However, never fall prey to the cardinal of all branding sins — the “me-too” marketing image. It seems successful. It seems safe. But it’s a trap.
If it’s working for others, the logic goes, it will probably work for us too. So we sanitize our image with a thick coat of plastic PR over the top of who we really are, making ourselves look like everyone else out there. Now we’ll come across as “successful,” right?
Wrong. This is a cardinal sin of branding and a grave error in marketing yourself. Why?
In branding, you need to differentiate yourself. You need to stand out. The whole goal is to make yourself memorable in the eyes of your audience, distinct from everyone else they could do business with. This helps potential customers answer the question, “Why should someone do business with YOU?”
No two people are the same. No two businesses are carbon copies of each other. Everyone has their own individual mission, their own dreams, their own taste, and their own way of doing things. Thank God, right?
One of the neat things about this Earth experience is that each person and each company is an individual. This gives us the rich tapestry of surprises, perspectives, and creations we call “life.”
However, this is about more than just altruism and beauty—being true to yourself is just good business. Branding is about standing out, right? Obviously, copying your competitors is the opposite.
What Is Good Branding?
The solution to good branding isn’t manufacturing an image based on what others in your industry sound like. The solution is figuring out how to convey the unique personality and individuality your company already has.
How? By telling the truth. Crafting a brand others will respond to and remember is all about authentically conveying who you already are. What are the components of your brand? What story should you be telling to your audience?
Here are some things to look for:
1. Mission.
What are you trying to accomplish? What are your objectives and how do they differ from others in your industry?
2. Passion.
What do you care about? What’s important to you? This can help determine your focus or niche.
3. Strengths.
What are you good at? This will probably align with what you love doing anyway and will be a compelling reason for people to do business with you.
4. Positioning.
Each company occupies a different “position” in the minds of their consumers. “Positioning” is a public relations term used to describe the practice of aligning a company’s image “with” or “against” certain ideas in order to make it instantly familiar and understandable in the minds of its audience.
5. Personality.
What’s your corporate culture like? Are you guys quirky? Professional? Cool? Elite? What makes you different? Embrace it. Stick your neck out and be yourself.
With 7 billion people on this planet, there’s room for every idea or company you could possibly think of. There will always be an interested audience for you, no matter how niche — as long as you’re authentic, as long as you’re an individual, and as long as you’re true to yourself.
Written by: Matt Hanse Source: www.AllBusiness.com
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THE MARK CONSULTING & MARKETING