Real. Simple. Branding.by Eric Brody

In a world filled with too much of everything (and just as much similarity), branding the ongoing process of building clear, valued and sustained differentiation  is a crucial step to forging relationships and growing business.

Fact is, your business is probably not much different from competitors and not very enticing to consumers. Your toothpaste looks and tastes the same, your sneakers are made of the same materials, your accounting methods are similar, and your hospital (stripped of its name) is indistinguishable from others. Imagine walking down your favorite store aisle devoid of any messaging to distinguish the thousands of products on the shelves. You tell me which are the Levi's and which are the Lee's; which is the Dove and which is the Ivory; which is the Canon and which is the Nikon?

So how do you stand out and stand apart? By aligning your organization around the promise of your brand. Ensuring that all you do from selling your brand's story inside, to building your product, service, market, channel, pricing, customer service and communications strategies reinforce why you're the best choice for consumers. And this is about REAL. SIMPLE. BRANDING:

REAL.

I remember calling AOL. I was told via IVR that "we've doubled our number of customer service representatives to deliver a higher standard of customer service. Please hold and the next representative will be with you shortly. Your waiting time is approximately nine minutes." That's not real. Real is about making promises that you can deliver, and ensuring that all employees have the knowledge and tools to deliver on that promise. If your brand is about speed, or power, or empowerment keep your promise and deliver it. But don't mess around. Because we're apt (in fact able) to spread the word like wildfire about how you've let us down.

SIMPLE.

Stand for something. One thing. Be the best at safety, performance, whitening, speed, durability, magic, luxury. Put a stake in the ground and declare your one thing to the world. Drive it through the organization, reiterate it over and over in the marketplace and then consistently deliver it through your offerings. Remember Billy Crystal's line in City Slickers. He tells his riding mates that life's about one thing. Well, the same holds true for branding. Great brands ultimately stand for one thing. And everything they do reinforce that one thing.

BRANDING.

Like any verb, connotes action. Practicing the REAL and SIMPLE of above. Managing the multiple (off line and on line) interactions that people have with your brand each day; and that either enhance or detract from your desired perceptions. Remember that whether you're driving or not, your indelible mark is being stamped into consumers minds! It's an imprint that's hard to erase, so create it on your terms.

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THIS ARTICLE IN FULL OR PARTS OF CANNOT BE REPRODUCED WITHOUT THE EXPRESSED CONSENT OF ERIC BRODY.