Your brand impulse

What pops into your head when I say the word Greenpeace? Maybe you see a rubber boat trailing a huge whaling vessel. Maybe you see the scrappy green logo. Maybe it’s a millennial standing next to a 1,200 year old tree. Whatever the image, you see something. There is an immediate and involuntary feeling you get when any familiar brand name floats across your brain. What about the feeling you have when I say the word Walmart? Tesla? Hamburger helper? Each one of these will conjure a different vibe. Cheap, expensive, delicious? Of course, everyone has a different image. My question is what happens in the mind of your audience when your business name is heard. What’s that first impulse or gut reaction?

Consistent and aligned branding touchpoints will help build a predictable response from your audience. If your audience knows who you are and what they can expect from you, chances are their initial reaction will be one that you’ve carefully cultivated. Brand touchpoints include everything your audience will interact with: social media, emails, website, etc. Being consistent builds trust and that’s one of the first steps in establishing a meaningful relationship.

Take a look at what your brand is putting out into the world. Doing a brand review once a year (or more if you’ve got a lot of products) is an important housekeeping measure in keeping aligned with your long term brand goals. As said from the inspirational minds at GFDA, “There are two types of people in the world: those who know when to change course, and those who crash into a reef.” Be honest with your brand review and feel free to reach out if it’s something you’d like a little help with. I don’t want to see you crashed on the reef.