Many Companies Haven't Articulated Their Brand Identity Clearly
When I'm working with businesses and individuals on social media and marketing initiatives, I hear the following quite a bit. "We know we need to do social media, but we just don't know how to do it." To this, I often start by explaining that social media in its most basic form is simply a conversation between two people. It just so happens there is a whole lot of new and fast-changing technology involved.
Mastering the technology, however, is never the core challenge businesses face when adopting social media marketing initiatives. Most individuals are perfectly willing and able to listen and learn about Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Most people find it exciting and fun and full of possibilities. What I consistently find is a challenge for companies is more about marketing fundamentals. In particular, many companies haven't clearly articulated their brand identity.
Brand Identity: An Outward Expression of a Company's Core Promise
A brand identity is simply the characteristics of a brand (company, product, or service) that differentiate it from other brands. It is an outward expression comprised of the visual and verbal language representing the company's core promise to customers. Branding certainly has a lot to do with visuals - the color scheme, logos, and naming conventions, but it also encompasses the unique associations that can be created and conveyed through dialogue. Key takeaway: there is a huge opportunity to create and share compelling brand expressions and associations via social technology.
Use This Framework to Articulate Your Brand Identity
Here is a simple brand identity framework that organizations can use to articulate their brand associations. Having a clearly articulated brand identity is necessary to appropriately frame conversations through social media. The brand identity provides guidelines and a structure for the types of messages individuals should be conveying both through social media and other traditional marketing channels. Here are the 9 questions making up a simple, but effective, brand identity framework.
1. What are the original strengths of your product or service that made the company great on which you want to build?
2. What is the relative value of your company in contrast to the alternative choices in the market?
3. Who are the customers (define their attributes) for which your company is always the best choice?
4. What customer need does your company fill?
5. What is the single most compelling (and competitive) reason for the target customer to chose your brand?
6. What are the differentiating functional benefits that motivate consumers to choose your company? What are the emotional benefits that motivate?
7. What are the values, beliefs, and personality of your brand?
8. What proof do you have the support your promises?
9. What is your core promise to your customer?
The Process of Developing a Brand Identity
The process of a developing a brand identity should be inclusive in order to leverage the best thinking in the company. Individuals from all levels and functions should be engaged in a series of short workshops that are designed to answer the above questions. Depending on the size and scale of your organization, you can also consider involving brand consultants and designers to help facilitate the process.
A Brand Identity Guarantees a Consistent and Compelling Message
The benefits of having a clearly established brand identity are manifold. It assures that a consistent and compelling story is communicated across all communication channels, including social media. The identity enlivens and humanizes the brand both internally and externally. And finally, it facilitates brand engagement and brand awareness - all good stuff.
What other benefits do you see? Have you used other frameworks to help articulate promise? Let's talk more over a cappuccino at Starbucks, okay?