If you had to give a forty-five minute presentation on your brand, could you do it? What would you say?
Today, I spent the better of the afternoon listening to a Vice-President explain the ins and outs of his very well-known and highly regarded brand. He did not discuss why he did it, he explained it as if he were walking you through the thought process and logic behind the birthing and nurturing of his now grown-up child.
I was spellbound.
This was not someone running through a PowerPoint presentation (although he did use PowerPoint). This was not someone showing off the flawless execution of the brand in advertising (in fact, he spent more time showing off where they got it wrong).
It made me think about the Twist Image brand. It made me think about how most companies think about their logo and how it will fit in with the next marketing campaign. It made me realize that simple, clear and consistent still rules in a world of bombardment and even targeted message overload.
It made me realize that when the brand is working from a billboard, TV commercial and website to an email signature file and how the call center speaks to people that a brand is everything. The sum of all business.
So how do people feel about your brand? What are your customers’ expectations when they buy from you (Thanks Tom)? Does a promise even exist? More importantly, do you tell the story with love and care or could you care less because you think a brand is just a logo?
I think businesses are growing up. We’re learning to tell great stories about who and what we are (so all marketers are liars – thanks Seth). We’re letting our consumers play with our brands. We’re able to tell a story about the brand and it’s not a work of fiction.