Four steps to persuasive branding
At a recent conference, Cheryl Heller of Heller Communication Design reminded her audience that a good brand expressed an identity - it communicates who we are and what we do. But GREAT branding should convey a promise.
Heller said that brand promise “indicates to your audience what they can expect to get from your company in exchange for their money and time — whether they are a customer, partner, investor or employee.”
It’s a smart point about including employees. Without their involvement, the promise cannot be delivered.
Heller’s tips on persuading your audience to behave in a certain way:
1. Be brief. Be clear. “Clarity and brevity do not come naturally to entrepreneurs with a mission,” Heller said.
2. Don’t clutter your brand promise with references to how you differentiate yourself.“Who you are and what you do is core to your brand promise,” Heller said. “How you do it, that changes as you grow.”
3. Avoid common words used by other companies. Heller’s examples: strategy, core values, mission, vision, operational excellence, efficiency, value-added, character, integrity, positioning, sustainability, corporate citizen, cause.
4. Speak to all your constituents: customer, partner, investor, or employee.
