The question is whether your brand is a clearly structured asset to the company, or a confusing jumble of antiquated internal corporate practices.

In many cases, a company’s brand develops over time by pure accident and can, over time, become more of a liability than an asset.

Compare this with a clearly defined and managed brand. The enterprise’s entire decision-making process is more streamlined and on-track. Customers remain loyal to a company is seen a partner in their everyday lives. Competitors look at an ever-rising bar for performance and become less competitive as they mimic your success.

A more organically-grown brand can actually be damaging to corporate strategy. If you lack a solid description of your brand, you are a ship lost to a storm of market forces. Employees make decisions based on personal arguments inconsistent with long-term corporate goals. Customers are easily swayed by inferior products and brands that have more consistent communication strategies. Competitors who study you closely are likely to know more about what you plan to do than your managers.

An integrated brand helps drive your company from the present towards a future of sustained success and market leadership. It serves to both guide and structure decision-making and ensures tomorrow’s achievements actually accomplish today’s goals.

How proactive has your brand development process been? Do your employees represent your brand principles in every aspect of their work? Are your customers loyal because your brand aligns with their values? Does your competition follow your lead in the market?

-Eric Mann

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Listening to NPR this morning, I was struck by the ubiquity of the term “brand” in our culture. In the course of about 15 minutes, I heard discourse on Fred Thompson’s brand slipping away from him, and the fact that Olympic women’s ice skating brand was on the wane and needed some celebrity skater pick-me-up. In both cases, it was assumed the average listener understands that “brand” is shorthand for value and meaning, and that it holds equity that can grow or build, depending on how you manage it.

-Lynn Parker

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Over the holiday I got the books Now, Discover Your Strengths and the new edition of it, Strengths Finder 2.0 placed into my hands. That first book’s been hanging around the bestsellers list for awhile so I jumped on the computer, took the test and figured out my strengths. What I gained was a new appreciation for what I am good at, and the unexpected bonus—a great way to think about branding.

To sum up the authors’ point, our culture in the United States focuses mainly on shoring up our weakness. We try to fix the negatives and gain what we are lacking—thinking if we do we will move forward. The belief outlined in the books is that by building on our strengths we actually set ourselves up for far greater achievement then focusing on weaknesses ever can. So I’m reading, drinking some eggnog and thinking this is sounding like the way a company should be thinking about their brand. My favorite quote from the book is this, “You cannot be anything you want to be—but you can be a lot more of who you already are.” That thought is not only key for the individual but also for the organization. In an in-depth branding process a company makes a shift from trying to be what they want, to revealing who they are. Then the brand strategy is focused on building the brand on top of their existing assets and strengths.

Take a moment to think about your company’s brand. Is the energy focused on fixing weaknesses or building strengths? Have you focused on your key differentiators or are you trying to be all things to all people? Do you know where your niche is in your industry? Do you know your brand strengths?

– Krista Joy Johnson

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