What is branding, really?
When you hear the word ‘Brand’, what comes to mind? A business owner? A company? A product? A logo?
It’s confusing.
But brand strategists, designers and marketers (as creative as they are) struggle to come up with a new word to describe what goes on behind the scenes, and explain what they are doing day in and day out. They might call it story, perception, promise, service… the list goes on. But those hazy labels are just adding more puzzle pieces to an already complicated theory.
Don’t give up on branding.
We all know the importance of branding. It’s what makes a company go from “meh” to “must have”.
“The main benefit of branding tools, and reason to employ them, is to boost profits.” — Forbes
But the big picture idea, the mountain’s summit of branding, feels impossible to climb.
So let’s redefine what Branding really is, shall we?
When we ask ourselves, what is branding, really? It’s very simple.
Branding is emotion.
Yup, remove the smoke and mirrors. There’s no one hiding behind the curtain. That’s all it comes down to.
With a word like emotion, I imagine your perception of the previous daunting concept takes on a new simpler meaning. We all understand emotions, because as humans (well, except perhaps for your crazy out-of-touch brother-in-law) are hardwired to feel, as well as to identify with, the emotions we experience…albeit sometimes uninvited, on a daily basis.
(I’m not crying, are you crying??)
And guess what? You are already good at it.
Have you ever made a comment to someone, just to help them feel a sense of joy? Maybe you reacted in a way that triggered another person to become angry? Did you just feel that wave of calm come over you when you stepped into the spa? Oh yeah, now you feel it.
How you invite people to emote (through actions) as well as how you internalize emotions (through reactions) shape who you are as an individual.
What’s fun about being human is our ability to leverage emotions in order to create or change belief systems about ourselves and others around us.
But that’s for another time.
Emotions give people a sense of connection. We share optimism or fear about the world around us. We feel overwhelmed about parts of our lives, and when someone helps us overcome those feelings, we feel relief. If you’ve ever had a friend who shares the same feelings as you, you are now bound by a common ground. And that makes you feel connected, safe, and socially united (hint: branding, branding, branding).
When we focus on emotion, the path becomes much clearer.
So, next time you feel like your brand efforts are going nowhere fast, use this cheat sheet to help guide your way out.
Brand Rut Cheat Sheet
If you’re asking yourself: How do I grow my brand? What is my brand about? Why would people care about my brand? What the hell is branding??
Step 1. Forget the word ‘Brand’.
Step 2. Use this simple breakdown
⇢ What creates growth — People buying from me (listening to me speak, booking my service, etc.)
⇢ What leads people to buy — Connection
⇢ How do people feel connected — Shared Emotion
So you see, branding comes down to emotion. Once you’ve figured out what emotion you want to create, change, or unite with your customers, you are one step closer to being the master of your own brand.
Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind.– Dr. Suess
⇢ Need help turning those emotions into actions? We’ve got you covered!