5 elements of brand mastery

Credibility can be lost in the blink of an eye when a brand lacks clarity and authenticity. But how do you know if you are doing it right? When it comes to looking at your brand with a subjective view, it’s hard to know where to begin. I’m going to give you a list of the top 5 things you can take a look at to ensure your branding is headed in the right direction:

1. Brand value proposition: Big picture
   Your value prop is your battle cry seen in all your major touchpoints. It’s the statement of what value you give to a specific audience. It should answer the question of what emotional benefits you are solving for your customers.

   You can use this crude framework as a starting point to craft one of your own:

   I help [X] to [Y] by [Z].

   X = specific audience, Y = solve problem they have, Z = your service/solution/product

2. Brand position: Plant your flag
   Your brand position represents a plea for single-mindedness when it comes to communication. Brand positioning points a laser beam at the most relevant benefits and points of competitive differentiation that are meaningful to a carefully targeted persona. If you are doing a good job with your positioning, there should be no question as to whom you are talking.

3. Brand personality: Consistent messaging + visual style
   Your brand should look like a single person is sending out all the communication. That means, the style of conversation, the tone of voice and the look and feel of it all needs to blend like refreshing cocktail on a summer day. A good way to keep communication in check is to remember who you are speaking to. A well formed customer profile will help to guide your language and address the wants of your target audience.

   Packaging all this language and presenting it in a way that looks like your brand is also a key component. A well built brand uses a clearly defined collection of fonts, icons, photography and/or illustration from which to draw from when developing collateral and social posts. Each of these categories needs to have a consistent feel. An easier way to align visual assets is to buy imagery from the same photographer or illustrator to keep things unified.

4. Brand story: Central idea driving the business
   Simon Sinek did a TedTalk all about this concept. “People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it.” Is there a reason your audience should care about what you are trying to do? It’s important to make it easy to give people a reason to grab onto your content. If they see something in your story that sparks a feeling or idea in them, they are more inclined to lean into your offering and give you an opportunity to connect. By presenting your “why”, you give depth and authenticity to your brand.

5. Brand relevance: Timeliness
   There’s a place in the market for all sorts of brand positions. Timeless brands like Morton Salt and Pepsi have a long and rich history from which to leverage their brand from but what about yours? Even big named brands re-examine their logos and design elements every 10-15 yrs. If you’ve been working with the same logo and design assets for decades, there is probably a need to refresh and modernize certain elements. Even historical brands need to feel like they have a connection to the current climate. A dated brand can hurt your credibility and potentially stifle new sales.

I hope the above list has given you a few high-level subjects to consider. If you notice places you are falling short or if you need some pro help, please give me a shout.