The most common misconception we encounter, when we talk about Branding, is that people think Branding is just a synonym for Marketing. True enough, these concepts are related, and people are free to use the terms in different ways. But Branding, to us, is something much deeper than Marketing.

Our process begins with Internal Branding, identifying higher purpose goals and key values, built on authenticity. While Marketing describes an external strategy for promoting your brand and selling more of your product or service, Branding has more to do with your core identity and self-awareness.

Marketing without Internal Branding

If you look at a few isolated elements of Brand Strategy, like brand persona and brand voice, you might come away with the idea that it’s all something of an act or a disguise. And that can easily happen if you don’t go through the whole diligent process.

Unfortunately, a lot of businesses focus too much on the immediate goals and the short-term bottom line. Maybe they’ve identified their target customers, and maybe they’ve even figured out how to tell them what they want to hear. But they overlook the essence of effective branding: authenticity.

In the digital age we live in, we are glutted with information and data. And consumers are increasingly savvy about how to sift through the information to learn more about who they’re doing business with. Ultimately, they want to know they’re supporting a business they can believe in. Quality and value are still important, of course, but modern customers want a glimpse of your soul.

So before they go and do that, you need to do a little soul searching of your own. And that’s where successful branding really begins.

Look inward to grow upward

At Balanced Brands, we identify as something of a Sage brand, or a Translator archetype, to be more specific. (Check out our article on Brand Archetypes to learn more about that.)

As such, we take pleasure in grappling with complex concepts, and we strive to make them clear to our audience. And we also assume that our audience is clever and curious enough to enjoy going there with us. So we don’t shy away from things like quoting the ancient Greek Temple of Delphi.

Know Thyself. (See, we even translated from Greek to English. You’re welcome.)

But seriously, this is where it all begins. Of course, you want to expand your reach and grow your market share, and maybe even open more locations. But any successful trajectory, whether personal or professional, should start with an honest process of introspection.

It’s essential to understand why you’re doing what you do, where you’re coming from, and where you’re going. Without a clear sense of self, it becomes very difficult to present yourself to others, and almost impossible to build meaningful, authentic relationships.

Brand Essence

When we coach our clients through this process, we always begin with the four pillars of brand essence.

• Brand Purpose: Why do we do what we do? Our higher purpose besides making money, which every business needs to do.
• Brand Vision: Where are we going? Where we see ourselves, our community and our industry in 5 to 10 years.
• Brand Mission: What are our ongoing commitments? A broad view of our action plan for achieving that Vision.
• Brand Values: What do we cherish? Character is built on values, and it’s important to stand up for what we believe in. Our values will dictate our day-to-day behavior.

Everyone with a business is familiar with terms like Mission and Vision. But again, not everyone understands the best way to implement these statements. People want a bold but catchy proclamation to put on their website. And that’s something worth doing.

More important, however, you need to make these statements clear and honest, and use them internally. You can make all the bold announcements you want on social media, but if you and your team aren’t perfectly clear about why you’re doing what you do, then those proclamations won’t mean a thing.

When everyone on your team is clear about their unified purpose and vision, those traits and principles will shine through. And when they’re authentic and meaningful, others will recognize that and want to join you. Employees want to work for a company they believe in, and customers want to do business with people who care about more than just the 16 digits on your credit card.

(Be sure to check out our article about the importance of Brand Strategy for Company Culture.)

Keep growing

Unlike that inscription on the Temple of Delphi, your brand essence statements are not etched in stone. They are vital, but that doesn’t mean they are unchanging. Just like people, a business or a brand needs to grow and evolve.

Of course, a radical shift in what you stand for isn’t going to fly. But as the world around us changes, your brand’s vision will also need to adapt. New competitors enter the marketplace, new technology disrupts your industry, or a new virus sends society into a tailspin.

These are all valid and essential reasons for checking in with your purpose and your mission. And even without these disruptions, it’s important to meet with your team at least once a year and review your statements and positions. What’s new? What’s changed? Are we all still on the same page?

When your dreams and aspirations just sit there on the shelf, they can grow stale. So revisit them once in a while. Make sure the passion is still there. And be sure to keep the dream alive. Otherwise, it’s only a matter of time before your foundation starts to crack like an ancient ruin.

Build a strategy that’s real and true

Need additional guidance? The Brand Strategy Workbook will give you a good starting point to answer some questions regarding your brand. And if you have any questions, feel free to reach out for a Discovery call or join our online community. It looks a bit confusing and overwhelming, but if you take it one step at a time, it all makes sense in the end. You got this! 

• Schedule a Discovery Call with Pacha
• Join our brand strategy Facebook Community: Balanced Brands
• Get professionally designed and curated content for your social media channels: Sign up for Social Stream

Dive deeper and take a look at these related articles.

• An Introduction to Brand Archetypes
• Adopting a Brand Persona
• Speaking with Brand Voice