would expect the same values to be shared by any prospective
employees and customers.
How do you create your own brand?
Firstly, define what you stand for, what you do differently and better to
anyone else, and how it is important to customers. Then behave in a
way that’s consistent with your brand and delivers upon that ‘promise’.
The best way to illustrate this is to look at the case of a brand we
all know, so let’s focus on Ford.
Ford encapsulates what its brand stands for in its strapline ‘Go
further’. It is important to Ford’s customers for their money to ‘go
further’ so they can ‘go further’ in their car journey and further in life.
Ford’s advertising communicates this promise to customers. Its
cars deliver – they are reliable and enable you to go further with less
fuel and less maintenance. Its service delivers – via customer service
people who will go that step further to help you on your way.
While other car brands could also promise reliability and value
for money, Ford has shown that it understands, and is aligned with,
its customers’ needs and values by addressing them in its brand
promise. Ford’s consistent behaviour over time, and throughout the
customer’s brand experience, demonstrates that this promise is
authentic, credible and trustworthy. With trust comes referral and
repeat business.
Living your brand
Living your brand consistently builds your reputation and your
business. It’s a matter of authenticity. If you create a brand that
doesn’t actually align with your values, it will only be a matter of time
before the façade crumbles.
1. What you stand for
If you can come up with a four to six word strapline that encapsulates
what you stand for, such as Ford’s ‘Go further’, then check for
trademarks and consider trademarking it. Also check availability of
URLs, Facebook pages and hashtags in case you want to create a
campaign at a later date.
For personal use, put it on your wall or screen saver to keep
reminding yourself what your brand stands for, and sense check
everything you are, say and do.
2. Your brand identity
Your brand is more than a logo, it’s an identity.
Your logo should consist of a brand name, symbol and typeface
that reflect what your brand stands for.
The rest of the visual identity is made up of:
• Colour palette – primary, secondary
• Imagery – style of photography, illustration
• Font family – headings, body copy
• Symbols and dividers.
You also need to address the first impression you make on people
and your sensory identity:
• What do you look like? Are you dressed in uniform? Is it clean
and ironed?
• What do you smell like? Type of hair gel, deodorant?
• What do you sound like? Type of music/soundtrack used,
volume?
Tone of voice:
• What tone of voice do you use? Is it friendly, serious or both
friendly and professional?
• What language do you use when talking to someone, versus
writing articles or social media posts?
Behaviour:
• How should you act, both in person and online, with clients and
other people? Think about what matters to your clients, as well
as what you stand for. Reliability, consistency and commitment
are commonly held values when it comes to customer service.
Think carefully about what spreads. If it’s done or said in public,
it is public.
• How should you definitely not act? This is worth putting on your
screen saver!
3. Your key messages
Focus on three or four key points that you want to communicate
about your business, and then expand on them by backing the
claims up with proof. Here’s an example:
Key point: ‘I am the most friendly and approachable trainer in
Double Bay’
Proof: 9/10 of my clients approached me first
Proof: Double Bay News wrote of me as the friendliest trainer in the
neighbourhood
Proof: My clients agree: ‘He is the friendliest, makes me feel at
home’ J Bell
Then repeat, repeat, repeat. Not every point has to be on every
piece of communication, but all the pieces together (business card,
website and flyer) create a whole picture for the customer.
4. Your touch-points
You are the key one of these. You know your values and how you
should look, smell, sound and behave. The same goes for any
employees you may have.
Your communications should reflect what you stand for. If
you stand for ‘Go further’, then your advertising, public relations
editorials, social media, flyers, business cards and programs should
reflect this.
Define your product, service and process. Just as Ford’s reflect
‘Go further’, so should yours embody your message.
Consider anything you use for work as reflecting or detracting from
your brand – your studio or outdoor set-up, car, fitness equipment,
the state of your iPad, mobile phone and even your pens – a broken
biro ‘borrowed’ from the bank does not send the right message!
Last, but not least, pricing underpins your brand’s reputation for
quality and credibility. Continual cost cutting seldom works as a long
term strategy. Set your