You Don’t Own Your Brand.
“What do you mean by that?” You say.
What I mean is that you don’t own your brand. Everyone else who sees you, does.
Your brand is how others feel when they think of you.
Let’s take Disney for example:
Words that come to mind when I think of Disney include: Magical, Happiest place on earth, progress, and nostalgic.
What makes me say that about them?
It’s not the castle – though the castle is part of it.
It’s not the blue they use – though it is a part of it.
It’s not how they call themselves cast members – though it is a part of it.
There is not one specific thing to make us say they’re magical – it’s in everything they do.
The movies, the cast, the character design, how the food is served…
Disney doesn’t own what people think of them – but they curate the message.
Every thing they do is intentional to draw a line for those who believe it is magical, and repel those who do not. Because for everyone who says they’re magical, there is likely another person who says they’re too corporate or too progressive.
Application
You are more than a trademark and a color. The brand you curate goes all the way down to how a random person will find you in the middle of the grocery store.
What coffee do you drink? How do you greet someone once they’re in your website? Do you meet for coffee at all hours of the day? Or do you invite them for drinks and dinner after 5pm?
If you identify something in your life and the way you do things out of alignment with the brand you want to curate, what can you do to align your brand?
