Submitted by Jan Smith on Mon, 10/26/2009
Back in 1988, I went to work for PC/Computing, a magazine startup with the tagline: Smart. Funny. Beautiful. Not what you'd expect from a technology title of the time, the goal was to be the "Vanity Fair" of computer magazines.
Everything about the magazine was intended to support the smart-funny-beautiful brand. The first few covers were commissioned art, many of them oil paintings. Comedian and illusionist Penn Gillette was a columnist for a time. The editorial talent was some of the best available.
So what is a brand? It's something (product, service, concept) that is publicly distinguished from others so it can be easily communicated. A brand is what makes your business yours.
Think of the brands you know. For example, although it has introduced other products over the years, Dunkin Donuts is still fundamentally about fresh coffee and donuts. Advertising. Websites. Store promotions. Whenever you think of Dunkin Donuts, you think hot coffee and freshly made donuts.
That's how your business should be. Your business is your brand. And everything about your brand -- logo, website, brochures, business cards, follow-up letters -- should present a consistent image and accurately represent your brand. If it doesn't, your potential clients may get confused. They won't be sure who you are and what you do, and that may make them just the littlest bit reluctant to do business with you.
Your brand isn't just what you do, it's how you do it. Are you an expert tax accountant, who painstakingly pores over a client's records to find every tax advantage? Are you a therapist with particular sensitivity to young women with eating disorders? A dentist especially gifted at making children want to brush their teeth?
All of those characteristics are part of your brand and should be evident throughout your marketing and promotional materials.
And if your business evolves -- you go from counseling couples to focusing on the challenges of parenting teenagers -- make sure your brand changes as well.
Put yourself in the mind of your clients. Take a look at your office, your website, your brochures, your business card. And make sure all of it reinforces your brand.