Wrapping up, Part II: Revisit your brand

Wrapping Up, 2: Take a look at your brand before the end of the year.

The buzzword around corporate circles these days is “rebranding.” I think of it more as “guaranteed work for ad/marketing agencies.” It seems like everyone is rebranding: ToysRUs, Chrysler, the Republicans, even Pakistan (in the “really bad idea” category.)

So as you wrap up your business year it’s time to think about your own brand. I heard Jonathan Lazar from 29-11 Studioes (a branding firm) recently talk about branding, and he mentioned 3 steps to branding:

Step One: Brand Impact – the impression your brand makes on people in that six seconds you have to get their attention

Step Two: Brand Recall – the ability of your brand to stay in people’s minds, through your continued efforts.

Step Three: Brand Evangelism – getting people excited about your brand so they will talk about it (the “Tipping Point” idea).

Kolbrener (another branding company) says that when you are considering your brand, what you put out to the world, ask yourself: What claims can you make that you never fail to deliver on? What claims can you make that your target audience will believe?

The key words are “never fail” and “claims…believe.” This made me think about what  promises I’m making and whether I’m fulfilling them in the books I produce and the consulting I do.  I’m going to look at my brand when I have some time (over the holidays, probably) to see if it’s really doing what I want and whether it really is making believable claims. I’ll let you know how it goes.