Who Are You? Identity and Brand
A brand is not simply a badge for a business. It is not a logo or label that you can apply to letter heads and packaging. A brand is the ‘how’ and ‘why’ of business’ behaviour.
The word brand describes the identity of a business in how it goes about its function and purpose.
There are lots of fizzy drinks on the market but only one Coca-Cola; there are plenty of airlines all using the same type of plane but only one Virgin; there are a wealth of smart phones but only one Apple iPhone.
Today, more and more customers want to understand the values of the brands they choose to buy from. If those values don’t match their own they are much less likely to buy from them. Brands and identities matter – they matter as much to the sole trader as they do to the international corporations and they start with the human values that root that business and give it a strong foundation on which to grow.
Without strong values or roots the first squall will have the business flat on its back and floundering.
Strong brand values give staff and customers clarity and consistency and this should translate into everything the business does. How it behaves as an employer, as a supplier, with the wider community and on the global stage. How it articulates its messages in words and pictures, how it makes itself memorable and compelling.
