Defining Your Brand Essence

by Jason Dreistadt | Jun 7, 2016 | Branding

How exactly do you define your brand? Many think that a brand is a name, a logo, or maybe even a reference to the services an organization provides. However, at the core of the definition, the term “brand” is much more. It is a promise, comprised of all of the various touchpoints of an organization… the sum of all of the experiences by your constituency.

So yes, your name and logo are a contributing factor to your brand, but also the message your group conveys, the promise it delivers to its constituents, and the essence of the members of the organization itself.

Imagine you have just been handed a large, heavy box wrapped in beautiful gold wrapping paper with a huge red bow on top. Upon opening the box, you discover that it contains a water-damaged television and a bunch of rusty spoons.

In this instance, the intrigue and promise of the brand has been tarnished by the brand itself. In fact, you would probably feel better about your experience if the box had been tattered and flimsy – you would not expect the same level of quality.

This is the same concept used in branding. An appealing brand is meaningless if the organization fails to live up to expectations. By failing to deliver a promise, you are creating a disconnect with the consumer base. But, if that same golden box was filled with diamonds, then the outward appearance of the brand coincides with the brand itself.

Maintaining, or even starting, a consistent brand is not an exact science, nor is it a simplistic process. It starts with looking internally by establishing your brand essence.

A brand essence is made up of your organization’s services (what you do), personality (what attributes define how you do it), distinctives (what you do different than anyone else), and benefits (what do your constituents receive as a result of what you do).

Combining these unique ingredients result in a brand promise – the One Big Thing that you want everyone to know and remember about your organization.

Once this inward-focused exercise is completed, then your organization is ready to truly communicate the essentials of your brand by consistently communicating all of points of the brand essence outwardly to your constituents.

Defining your brand can be a difficult process. Let the experts at Infinity Concepts help you with all aspects of your brand. Let’s talk today!