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The Importance of Authentic Branding in Business
Your brand is more than your trade dress or marketing slogans. It’s what your people and customer think and say about you.
In that broad context, here are a few things to consider as you review your business from the perspective of branding:
1. Brands Are Promises Kept (or Broken)
A resonant brand influences perceptions, creates emotional connections, and fosters loyalty. However,
- Brands are Only as Strong as the Experiences that Support them. No logo will overcome consistently broken promises. Branded experience success comes from everyone understanding your brand’s essence and the behaviors needed to ensure that promises implied by the brand are consistently realized by everyone you serve.
2. C.R.U.D Best Measures Brand Strength.
The strength and authenticity of brands are reflected in the degree to which they are:
- Credible: The brand promise aligns with its delivery.
- Relevant: The brand promise and delivered experience address its intended audience’s needs, preferences, and aspirations.
- Unique: The brand promise and experience differentiate the company from competitors in a saturated market.
- Durable: The brand promise and brand experience are timeless and adaptive.
3. A Tagline is a Succinct Articulation of Brand Essence.
Great taglines encapsulate the core of a brand. They inform, connect, evoke emotions, and are memorable. Here are a few crisp examples:
- Netflix’s “See what’s next”: This phrase captures the brand’s commitment to continuous content updates. It highlights the excitement of discovering new shows or movies.
- Airbnb’s “Belong anywhere”: This tagline is explored in detail in my book:
“Belong Anywhere” expresses the aspiration to ensure every person feels at home anywhere in the world. It encourages hosts on Airbnb’s platform to nurture belonging for every guest during every stay.
- Spotify’s “Music for everyone”: Underlining its vast library and user personalization, this tagline emphasizes Spotify’s promise to be inclusive in the content streaming on its platform.
Next Steps in Delivering Your Brand Promise
- Evaluate Your Brand’s Authenticity: Scrutinize whether your brand’s actions match its promise. Address any discrepancies immediately.
- Apply the CRUD Test: Honestly assess your brand against the C.R.U.D parameters and note areas for refinement.
- Re-evaluate Your Tagline: Does it encapsulate your brand’s essence? If not, it’s time to brainstorm.
- Gather Feedback: Engage customers to gain insights into their perceptions of your brand. Use surveys, focus groups, or direct conversations. Are customers experiencing what your brand promises?
- Stay Adaptable: The branding landscape is ever evolving. Regularly re-evaluate and tweak your branding strategy to stay relevant.
In my opinion,
“Brands must transcend visuals or catchphrases. They should reflect a promise consistently upheld. Winning brands are testaments to quality and deliver experiences that are credible, relevant, unique, and durable.”
Related: The Not-So-Secret Recipe for Repeat Business & Referrals