A glimpse at branding

Throughout my professional career I have learned a few things about branding and how to position a company. A brand is not a log, it is not a brand guide either. Your colors, type and logo itself are a component of a brand. A brand essentially, is like what Marty Nuemeier says "Your brand isn't what you say it is. It's what they say it is."

Now the question, how to help differentiate? A few short tips are below:

• Understand that your product, service, etc., are not for everyone. But they are for someone.

• Write out who you are, what you do, and very importantly, why you do it.

• Harmonize the strategy and the creative work at your company, organization, non profit, etc.

• In an information rich world (digital) you need to ensure that what you offer is quickly understood by cutting out noise and leaving only the music.

• Make sure to lead with 3 key takeaways about your products, rather than loads of information. Make it so that a viewer will want to approach you and learn more.

• Analyze your brand from the point of view of seeing another person. What do they do on weekends? What kind of job do they have? What is their tone of voice like? The more you look at your brands personality this way, the easier it will be to find out who you are for. Like dating. Personality matters.