It’s the night before Thanksgiving, and I’m sending my husband to the store for some last-minute items. Now thankfully he won’t need to purchase much. Only fresh ingredients for the salad I’m making tomorrow for the big feast.
But normally, if I send him with a long list, he gets lost. Every brand looks like another brand. They all melt together.
For a small business brand, that spells disaster. It’s kind of like going to cookie cutter houses. In these neighborhoods, it’s hard to distinguish one house from another. It’s easy to get lost! Why, I even know a story of a friend of mine (who is hosting Thanksgiving for us tomorrow, yay us!!!) who accidentally went to the wrong house for a bridal shower party a few months ago. Wow, she felt silly!
How does this relate to business? If your brand, specifically your brand image, is not unique, you will lose customers. Your customers will be confused. They won’t understand what you provide nor will they understand the value you offer to them. You will lose trust and credibility.
An effective brand is based on a professional logo that is uniquely tailored to your business. It communicates the essence of who you are as a business.
And an effective brand is AUTHENTIC. I think of a local talk show I was listening to this morning that our town’s mayor was being interviewed on. A lady called to share her opinion about an initiative here called “City for Champions,” a project meant to bring economic vitality back to our area.
She pointed out that as a long-time resident, she doesn’t want some identity super-imposed on our city. She didn’t want something fake.
She was looking for something real. And so are your customers. That’s why the more clarity you have about your vision, mission, values, target market and other key factors, the better your brand will be and the more you will attract your ideal client. And that means an improved bottom line!