Stand By Your Brand – Ronan Kilroy FocalPoint Business Coaching.
I have as much time for country music as I do for poor branding. But Tammy Wynettes famous song struck me when I received an email during the week which infuriated me.
The Power of your Brand can be phenomenal.
Gerard Tannam of Islandbridge brand development captures the essence of this when he talks about a brand having
A uniform
A label
A reputation
A goodwill
A badge
A tribe
A worldview
Powerful stuff really and so true. A brand is a complex thing and as Gerard states the purpose of your brand is to “make it the natural choice of your customers”.
So why do so many businesses miss the point and mess around with their brand, sending out mixed messages and confusing, then alienating their potential customers?
Working as a Business Coach it strikes me as simply down to a lack of appreciation for the power a brand can have. For many it revolves around simply hiring a graphic designer and creating a new logo. Although important it is inconsequential if you don’t have a brand value system, a brand essence, a brand story.
Back to my email.
The email in question came from an accountant that I have never met previously.
A couple of things really irked me as they are so basic.
The opening line was “Ronan I am looking for a favour”!!
Doesn’t the blood boil? We don’t have a relationship! so no you can’t ask me a favour.
Secondly the favour was not for him, but for his “friend” who is selling some form of insurance. Would I meet him to discuss.
No. I don’t know you and I don’t know your friend. You are breaching trust by asking something like this.
If you have a brand you are seriously undermining it’s brand values, by behaving like this. Does your brand have clear values. What signal are you sending out to your potential customers. From my perspective in this case a high trust industry, the message is, you cannot be trusted.
Does this sound too harsh to you? Well I make no apologies for this.
If you are a small business, or sole trader, your brand frequently is you. Treasure your brand, it’s important.
So to slightly misquote Tammy Wynette
“And if you love him
Oh, be proud of him
Cause after all he’s just a man”
becomes
“And if you love it
Oh, be proud of it
Cause after all it’s just a brand”
Do you love your brand? Are you proud of it? Are you proud of what it stands for and would your “Stand By Your Brand”?.
Many businesses spend years building up their brand and brand loyalty. It takes time. Don’t allow your brand to be watered down or compromised.
Action Step
Start today and articulate what your brand stands for? Make sure that in all of your interfaces with your clients your brand message is consistent, and your brand standards are adhered to.
Best of luck, Ronan
Ronan Kilroy Certified FocalPoint Business Coach
Profitability, Productivity, Possibility.
