What’s your brand?

So you think you have a brand? Tell me, what does your brand stand for? Is it just a name, a logo, a funky slogan you thought of on your den couch while watching TV? Did you even ever give it more thought or effort? Or is it a personal image that you have of yourself?
Take for example, the current CEO of Canadian Tire, Wayne Sales. When I think of his name, I conjure up thoughts of successful, marketing-savvy, driven, community-oriented, understands the public markets, strong leader. His brand is relevant to me because he leads an organization which I have served and will surely again serve in the future as a “vendor-partner” (that was a term I first heard from his lips back in the mid-90’s far before anyone else was using it).
All too often, people are confused about the definition of their own brands. The less effort they put in, the lower the value of the brand. Look at Coke. Investing hundreds of millions in a brand rather than a technology. The results? A bottle whose shape they own, a brand that is worldwide and a business model that is sustainable and valuable.
When looking to determine if you really have a brand, ask people what comes to their minds when they think of you. You then have the information to understand your own personal brand. Ever ask customers what they think of when they think of your company? Do you have a image of innovator, deliverer, low-cost producer, value-driven? Or do they see your company as a pain in the ass to work with (in which case your relationship will only last as long as they really need you!).
Your brand is a reflection of your business. It does not mean that your brand stands for tremendous marketing like Coke’s does. Your brand stands for what you are. And the sooner you know how you’re seen, the sooner you know if it matches how you WANT to be seen…
Below is a list of questions that you can ask yourself to determine what your brand is:
What do I/we stand for?
What am I (are we) passionate about?
How am I (are we) different from other people (businesses) that provide the same or similar products or services?
What are my/our strengths?
What is my/our specialty?
What are my/our values?
What do my/our clients most value about what I/we provide?
What am I (are we) trying to accomplish?
What problems do I/we help our clients solve?
What do I/we want to be known for?
Do I/we have any “quirks” that I/we can incorporate into my/our brand image?
Answer these questions for yourself and your organization. You’ll then discover whether you really have a consistent message and deliver on it.
Can anyone out there guess what the Sass Peress brand stands for? Let me know through comments so that I can learn what you think of me. It will help me determine whether how I see myself matches how others see me, and then take the actions necessary to match the two and take them both to where I want my brand to be!
Solar regards,
Sass
PS> If you’re interested in what a real guru has to say, noting the difference between brands (passive) and branding (active), read this blog entry by Seth Godin…