Being your brand could mean that you proudly represent the business logo, name and brand that fronts your organisation, or it could simply mean being yourself – representing your own integrity and lifting your personal brand and reputation to new heights.
According to Forbes, some of the most reputable companies in 2014 included The Walt Disney Company, Canon, Apple, Johnson & Johnson, Nike, The Coca Cola Company and Amazon, the list goes on! These are companies with brands that many of us feel we can trust. These forward thinking organisations have created and maintained their profiles to a level where for us, thinking about their brand generates positive feelings. In short, we trust them to provide what we want - and that’s a part of what a brand is right? It’s a feeling that we have toward a company when we see their logo or products, and even a feeling we have toward a person when we hear their name. A reputation must be made, but if carefully cultivated it can always grow and change.
"Though a reputation evolves behind a brand, it is also what precedes it."
What feeling do people have about your brand? You may have to ask around to know for sure, or you may have a feeling about your own brand already and know some areas that you wish to work on and evolve.
PICK 5 CHARACTERISTICS THAT BEST DESCRIBE YOUR BRAND:
- Trustworthy
- Hardworking
- Reliable
- Flexible
- Confident
- Commitment to customer care
- Ensuring clarity in all aspects of services offered
- Excellent communication
- Passion for what you/your team provides
- Strong focus on the job at hand
- The work of a master craftsman and expert in the field
- Always going the extra mile
- In touch with modern styles and trends
- Offering modern equipment and techniques
- Down to earth, approachable
- Excellent quality control
- Positive, friendly and approachable
- Creative and adaptable
- Intuitive and Inspiring
- Undertaking the work on time and as quoted
- Thorough and accurate in plan and action
From your 5 chosen characteristics - does your brand present these factors to the world? If your brand correctly represents your integrity and values AND delivers on these things, people are more likely to remember you and mention you to others.
If your business brand is dated, we can work with you to incorporate your values into your brand, promoting more than just a business name. We can work with you to give your brand IMPACT, so it stands out from the crowd. We can evolve your brand so it reflects your business in 2015.
Whether you are a business brand or you are maintaining your own personal brand, a good starting tip for ensuring your brand is consistent would be to check your online personal or business profiles to ensure you are presenting yourself professionally and consistently. Your online presence may need to be lifted and updated on sites such as GooglePlus, Facebook, LinkedIn, and even your own website may need some new images to bring it up to date and re-freshing or completely re-writing your content is a good way to make a fresh start for the year.
- Maintaining integrity and good manners, even through challenges
- Making the extra effort to maintain a clean work vehicle or tidy office
- Taking pride in your talents, skills and team
- Making time to update your online presence and provide examples of your work
- Giving more than was asked and going the extra mile to ensure customer satisfaction
These some of the qualities that work for you to promote a good reputation. A lot of companies I have done content writing for often tell me their biggest reward is the moment when the client comes home and sees their new driveway, or their window installation, or the new feature wall that has been built. I have been assured by many business owners that a positive reaction from their clients is the best thank you they can receive, and the best motivation to carry on to the next job, and the next.
It’s one thing to do a job for the money, and another job completion for your portfolio. It is quite another to do a job because your enjoy and are good at something, and have a confidence that what you can offer will be a benefit to someone who may be overjoyed with the final result.
I will leave you with an example of one of our customers who comes to mind as an excellent example of Being Your Brand: Diane Watson from Hair Therapy. I mention Diane because when I met her she had the light of enthusiasm in her eyes the whole time she talked with me about her team and the services they offer as medical wig specialists. Diane lives her brand, and I know that she gives 110% to each of her clients because she knows how they FEEL. She knows how they feel because Diane herself was a client for 7 years before buying this business that had already made a positive impact on her life, for the purpose of doing the same for others. Diane IS her brand, through living her own values of care and understanding, and going the extra mile to give her customers a quality product and an experience that makes them feel comfortable and welcome.
Because of the excellent representation of her brand that she advertises through her character and enthusiasm, Diane inspires confidence in her abilities and trust that she really does look after her clients. I have recommended Diane's business to quite a few people without having experienced her services myself. That is the power of Being Your Brand.
A BRAND IS A SET OF VALUES. IT IS A STORY.
A BRAND EVOLVES WITH THE TIMES AND YOU ARE YOUR BRAND.
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