What is a brand? What does “brand” mean to you?
My best explanation is that your brand is how people think and feel about you, both consciously and unconsciously. Marketing psychology is real! So, your brand is a collection of all of the things that create those thoughts and feelings, including:
- The words you say
- The experience clients have with you when they work with you or purchase your product
- How you look via your logo, colors, fonts, website, storefront, etc.
- The tone of voice you use
All these things exist all the time in your business. If you read my last newsletter about building brand trust by showing up consistently, you know it is important to create all of these “brand pieces” intentionally and with cohesion.
Creating a meaningful brand is hard enough. It is precisely why companies hire branding agencies like Wax Creek to create all the components of a winning brand that works.
Something you maybe haven’t considered is that brands are living, breathing things that also evolve.
- Your clients’ wants and needs change
- Your offers and the way you do business changes
- The economy changes
- World events happen
- Your culture matures
- Seasonal changes
How should brands best navigate this evolution? I break it down in three ways:
1) Know your market- Take time to be educated about what is happening worldwide. Stay plugged into your network of people that provide similar services to understand what they are experiencing. Join Mastermind groups, share information, these are also valuable ways to utilize your network.
2) Know your industry- Subscribe to industry news and magazines. Join industry groups on LinkedIn. Don’t be afraid to talk to other companies and people who do the exact same thing as you! Sharing is caring, friends.
3) Know your clients- Talk to them and listen! Understand their challenges and what is changing in their world. Ask them for feedback after they purchase from you. When you receive feedback (good or bad) ask more questions. Make sure your team is trained for this instead of trying to quickly mitigate problems or issues. Not only will you gain a better understanding of their needs, but you will create deeper loyalty by proving you truly care.
I recommend assessing your brand evolution at the same time you plan your marketing strategy- quarterly. By understanding what has changed in your market, industry, and for clients, you’ll be able to make better decisions about what marketing strategies to invest in.
If possible, I also highly recommend creating a small team of people that work in different roles in the company to participate in this quarterly strategy. A customer service employee who talks to clients all day has a different pulse than someone in marketing.
In your quarterly strategy, ask questions like:
“Are there any indications that our customer demographics have or are changing?”
“What do customers want and need?”
“How has life changed in the last quarter for our customers?”
“What are our customers struggling with? What is their human experience?”
“How has our company culture changed in the last quarter?”
“Are there world events that are happening that would or should cause us to respond differently?”
“How can we stay true to our core values while adapting to the needs and wants of our customers?”
“Is there misalignment between our internal culture and the external representation of our company?”
“Are we trying to be all things to all people?”
If you’re looking for help and want to ensure it gets done, we offer quarterly brand strategy workshops! Let’s chat about your needs and how we can help! Schedule a discovery call here.
