WHAT IS YOUR BRAND PERSONA
Your brand is more than logos, colors, and fonts. The best brands also have a distinct personality, different from all others in their industry. Think of how you feel when you fly Southwest Airlines compared to one of the traditional airlines. This distinct difference doesn’t happen by accident. Here’s how you can hone your brand “feeling” so your business will be differentiated from your competitors.
3 EASY STEPS
Step One: What would you like the personality of your business to be? Don’t use words like efficient, quick, cost effective. Think of words that evoke emotion like caring, respectful, relaxed, fun, modern, traditional, innovative, instructive, inspirational, etc.
Step Two: Ask a few customers to describe the personality of your business. Does their description match the one that you described in Step 1?
Step Three: If there is a difference between Step 1 and Step 2, it’s time to sync them up. Create a 3 point plan to close the gap. Many “brand clarification plans” depend upon your staff and may involve training, hiring and/or regular evaluation to match these two steps up. Other points in the plan may also involve anything from investment in new technology to a simple coat of paint (in brand colors) in your showroom to give you the emotional connection that you desire. Each plan will be different depending on the words you chose in Step 1 to describe your business.
Although these type of plans don’t always make it to the top of a busy owner’s To Do list, they can be critical in communicating your Unique Selling Point to your customers. The good news is, once done correctly, a strong brand persona really helps you “own” a certain place in your customer’s mind. These plans can also be hard for your competitors to emulate, at least in the short run, giving you a bit of a moat around your business.
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