A brand is multi-faceted. It is comprised of intangibles – the many things that define who you are as a business—like your purpose for being in business, your reputation, values and beliefs and your unique advantage (the specific qualities and strengths that differentiate your product or service). Add to this mix the emotional impressions and experiences that customers have when interacting with your company and you have an idea of what defines your brand. There are also tangible, visible components-like your company name, logo, signage, design elements, website and printed materials. Ideally these tangible elements should be an accurate representation of what you are. Taken all together, these elements make up the persona of your brand.
In this section, the nuts and bolts of who you are will be defined – what is your story, what do you look like and what is your messaging? The key is authenticity – aligning what you communicate about your company, products and services with whom you truly are. A critical consideration will be making sure that who you present on the outside is consistent with who you are on the inside.
When your story, messages, images and values resonate with your audience, they’ll feel more involved with your brand. Your product or service becomes a natural extension of that persona. In creating an authentic and consistent impression of what you are and what you do, you have a much greater chance of your business standing out and growing from a good company into a great one.
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