What is a brand, and why is it important?

What is a “brand”?

Without getting too nerdy on the history of it all, the concept of a ‘brand’ has been around for hundreds and hundreds of years. It has evolved significantly over time. It was around the 1800s that a brand became a symbol of quality. These days a brand is an organization’s strategy made visible. It’s the story of who they are, and what they do. By telling their brand story, organizations shape the experience people have with them. Namely, the thoughts, feelings, and ideas that their audience associates with them. Effective branding is a way for organizations to create an emotional connection with their audiences. A way to differentiate themselves from their competition.

Successful brands know that to get somebody’s attention amidst today’s noise, you have to stand for something. It’s important to have a purpose and stay true to it. Brands like REI. They close all their stores on Black Friday, one of the busiest shopping days of the year. They pay their staff for a full day of work, and encourage their customers to spend the day outside instead! Now that’s living your brand values.

Why do you need a brand?

One thing you need to know is that you have a brand, whether you are in control of it or not. If you’re not actively developing and managing your brand, others will do it for you. Social media is by default, social! People are online talking about your business and what you do. Make sure they are telling the story that serves you best. Owning your brand is the way for you to become known for what you want to be known for. Your reputation can precede you in the best possible way. 

A well-defined brand allows you to:

• Stand out from the crowd and get noticed
• Highlight the unique value that only you deliver
• Elevate your social proof and build your influence
• Solidify your niche and clearly convey your message and values
• Grow your customer base and increase brand awareness
• Build customer loyalty and brand advocacy

Where should you start?

You wouldn’t build a house on shaky ground, you need to start with a solid foundation. The goal of branding is to develop a strong brand that is aligned with the unique way you do what you do. This foundational work is a place from which you can build to grow your business and your influence. 

The first step is to get clear about your goals and the value you deliver. You may want to branch out to new offerings and need to strengthen or tweak your current brand for clarity. Perhaps you want to grow your customer base and increase customer retention. Whatever it is, get clear on why you want to work on your brand and write down your goals.

Your origin story

One of the keys to this work is to build a brand that is true to who you are. By taking the time to understand who you are, and who you are not, you will build a brand that you can get really comfy with.

It’s important to understand your journey so far. Think about what motivated you to develop your business. What do you love about what you do and what are you most proud of?

“People don't buy what you do; they buy why you do it. And what you do simply proves what you believe”. Simon Sinek, Start with Why

Define your core values

Our values are at the core of who we are and how we show up in the world. They are the things we hold dear and the things that matter most. Our values determine what makes us feel good. They also act as beacons for our non-negotiables when doing business.

Consider what’s important to you in life. Think about the impact that you want to have and what difference you want to make in the world. What inspires you and what makes you angry?

These considerations will help you determine what really matters to you the most. It could be kindness, curiosity, love, respect, excellence, community, justice, and so on. Ideally you want to land on three to five core values. Any more than that and you’ll find that nothing is then your priority.  Our Brand Foundations card deck is a helpful resource to determine your core values and your key characteristics.

What makes you special?

You also want to spend some time considering how you do what you do. What’s distinctive about your business and sets you apart? Think about the way that you show up in your work (e.g. compassionate, driven, excellence, empathetic, etc.). You can also ask your friends and colleagues to describe your key traits. If you’re having a hard time, you can start by listing some things that you definitely are not!

Bringing it all together

Ultimately you want to end up in a place where you can clearly describe what you do, why you do it, and how you do it in a way that is distinctive to you.

Because when you’re confident about who you are, what you do, and why it’s important - the rest of the world will see it too.

Need some help getting started? Brand Foundations is a step-by-step self-service branding program. It has everything you need to get your house in order!