Have you ever wondered about birthdays in the context of brands?
Probably not, I’m sure. Leave it to a “brander” to draw a parallel, right? I’m such a branding geek (smile). Today is my birthday, so I’m writing this post about birthdays and brands, but I’ll keep this simple and sweet.
Think about it. With birthdays and brands, you either:
- Love or hate them
- Avoid or embrace them
- Are quiet about it or announce it to the world
- Downplay or go out with a bang
- Celebrate it ONE day of the year or EVERY day, all year
Seriously, though. Your brand is an expression of who you are and what you stand for.
I encourage you to:
Love and embrace your brand. Build, nurture, and treat it with care. The return on your investment will be exponential if you focus on your brand as your single most important business asset. If you don’t love your brand, how can you expect others to?
Announce your brand to the world. Let people hear your message! Okay, maybe your brand is local or regional and you’re not interested in announcing it to the entire world. My point is that no one builds a brand without communicating. You must communicate, consistently and regularly, until your target audiences know who you are and can decide for themselves if they want to work with you or not. Don’t be silent about your brand.
Go all out! Just as much as you can celebrate your birthday with a bang, you can celebrate your brand the same way. I know there are some of you who prefer to have a quiet night at home on your birthday. If that’s you that’s okay but don’t do this with your branding. Don’t compromise on half-a** branding. Give it your all. Put your best foot forward. Think about every single interaction, every single message, photograph, outfit or communication touchpoint as a piece of the cumulative experience of your brand.
You’re “on” all the time. Whether you choose to celebrate birthday everyday or only on your birthday, your brand should be celebrated and manifested every day. Consider that people are always paying attention to you when it comes to your brand. Don’t just focus on your brand as a “one-off” activity — whether you’re launching your brand, speaking at an event, networking with people, or talking with customers, you’re always presenting. Branding happens with everything you do. Yes, people are paying attention to you even when you’re not aware of it. So, make everything you do matter.
Finally (and this one is important):
Have fun with branding. Yes, branding is part art and part science. It does require some strategic thinking, but it also requires creativity. If you’re not having fun building your brand and your business, why bother.
