Look familiar? Welcome back! This post was updated with our freshest thoughts.
Chase Baker, Unsplash
Aligning your actions with your words makes a compelling brand
A big part of our brand discovery process is to uncover the good that already exists and lean into your strengths: the differentiators, the value prop, the heart and soul of the business, the why. This gives us a real, strong foundation to build from.
As much as possible we want to align your external brand to reflect what you already know and live by internally. That is the easiest, most authentic, and quickest way to build a brand with integrity. Integrity builds trust way more than any logo or visual system can. In fact, your customers, markets, and the public can just as easily associate your logo or visual identity as something to watch out for if the underlying integrity isn’t there. If you’re not living it, you can’t be known for it. Period.
But, when your actions do meet your words, and you have that good-lookin’ logo and consistent messaging surfing alongside – get ready for a fun ride ahead! This is why branding is more than just how you look, it’s how you act, and how that resonates with the story you’re trying to tell.
Tom Wolff, Unsplash
Building culture builds your brand
Once we know your strengths, we can identify where the intersection is between what you want to be known for and what you can be known for. We find where you can position yourself to plant your brand in hearts, minds, and markets. Then, we work with you to build people’s trust in that position so it’s obvious to everyone how firmly you’re holding your spot.
The leadership team has a huge role in building this culture and aligning actions to words. That passion, energy, and integrity will easily ripple across the organization toward your common mission. But your culture can also be a code of ethics, values, spirit, personality, operational practices, and more. That’s how you bring your brand to life in a real, tangible way.
When a strong internal culture supports and validates a meaningful and impactful external brand, believers are made.
Having trouble articulating the values and personality of your brand’s culture?
A Brand Session is a good place to start. This 3-week sprint is highly effective in uncovering your truth, giving you a clear brand strategy, and translating it into a visual system ready to show the world. Living up to it is an ongoing game, but we’d love to help you get started.
