Tell Me Why: The Value of Your Brand
04.22.22
A brand is more than a colorful billboard you pass or a jingle that sticks in your head. Your brand should be a guiding light, crafted carefully to encompass who you are and why you continue to exist. Every element of your marketing strategy should be an opportunity to let your personality and mission shine through. However, some businesses struggle to define themselves and come to us to help them find the words to their story.
Discovering Your Brand
You need to understand the value of your brand in order to fully embrace it. We like to think of your brand as the lyrics to your song. They give meaning beyond basic function and set the tone for public perception. Much like song lyrics, your brand defines your efforts and the impressions you leave behind. So how can you find the words to guide you forward?
Branding is rooted in your “why” — why you exist, why you function day-to-day and, ultimately, why you’re different. To start discovering your identity, you must reflect on two things: the reason you first started working in your area of business and the mark you wish to leave on the world.
Finding Your Focus
Your brand’s focus must go beyond what you do day-to-day — while sales and conversions may be important, they are a common denominator across most businesses. Focus on the passion behind each of your initiatives and your future aspirations. You could be seeking out human connections, creating welcoming communities or spreading invaluable knowledge. Branding seeks to reroute you back to the core of your business that has been lost in the clutter of day-to-day dealings. That’s where Paradigm comes in — we enter as an outside partner, helping you see yourself with new eyes through our brand positioning exercise. We dive past the initial clutter through in-depth discovery sessions and eventually use your own characterizations of your business to guide us in our creative process.
Extending Your Brand
Brands should be built to stick — our goal is to write your story and use it to help you make your mark on the world. Internally, your brand positioning will act as a rallying cry for your business. It will bind each employee and executive together, regardless of their rank, in a shared mission. On the external side, it will provide consistency in your marketing efforts and solidify your public perception. Ultimately, we create branding that will weave across all platforms, including website content, social media posts, print collateral and beyond.
Why now?
You may wonder — why now? Regardless of pre-pandemic or post-pandemic designations, branding sets the stage for your business’ future. Businesses fail each year and employee retention remains a continuous struggle — it’s increasingly important to create a dual-facing message that both attracts prospects and stands out among your competitors. In a time of insecurity, there’s comfort in understanding yourself, your company and its role in the marketplace. A unified voice gives your business the chance to optimize the trajectory of its content and further nurture relationships with your target audience and your internal team.
Whether you’re looking for a refresh or a rebrand, see today as an opportunity. Leave behind routine, stale or negative connotations and find your way back to your “why.” Take the next step towards extraordinary with Paradigm — contact our team to start your branding project today.
