You are never NOT communicating.
A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about the importance of your words. That post was specifically about conversations, but today I want to talk about the bigger picture, and discuss branding. There are plenty of definitions all over the web, but I like to think of a brand as whatever is said, felt and believed about you when you’re not around. This goes far beyond your skills and abilities to do the job you’re hired for. It is about everything you are communicating all the time. This is why companies spend millions and millions of dollars on brand strategy and why it is the hottest topic in the business world today. And because it’s the hottest topic in business, it’s a hot topic for you too. Along with owning and managing a company called You, Inc., you need to create a brand strategy too.
Create is actually the wrong word though, and that brings us to the first of several “career in the arts” relevant points from a post on branding and storytelling over at the Future Lab blog.
“Truth # 1: Seek the Story to Rule them All
Great brand stories stem from the reason a brand exists. Apple wanted to free creative spirits while slaying the Microsoft dragon. Coco Chanel set out to re-invent fashion and liberate women from tradition. Pepsi wants to be a catalyst for change for every generation. Dig into the history, people and promises of your brand to uncover its Unique Story Proposition (USP). Make this the anchor for everything other story you tell.”
I was introduced to the concept of a USP (it’s sometimes called a Unique Selling Proposition too) many years ago and I’m glad to have found a way to bring it to you now. A USP is the cornerstone of a brand strategy and you need to make absolutely sure you know what yours is. This is what I was thinking about when I wrote that create is actually the wrong word. The proper word behind a creative person’s USP should be the word express. You do NOT need to make up a story about how unique you are. What you DO need is encouragement and guidance on how to communicate that uniqueness in everything you do.
Think long and hard about what you do, why you do it and how you do it. Listen to what others say about you and your craft. Explore what’s going on the area of the arts you work in. Take your time and consider everything. Your Unique Story Proposition will reveal itself clearly. Once you know it, communicate it in everything you do, say, hand out, post, etc…
As an example, we knew a recording singer that posted a picture of her little girl on the demo tape she handed to all the producers in town. Under the picture, she printed “Baby needs new shoes”. All she was doing was telling the truth. She wanted to work more as a singer so she could support her little girl. Did it work? Absolutely! Her tape stood out and people thought of her when they need a singer. I would now say that she didn’t go far enough. Today I’d suggest that she also put the same stuff on her business cards, wear a pin with her daughter’s picture on it and have a website that tracked how her professional career helped provide for her little girl. If you think that’s over the top, consider this:
“Truth #7: Storytelling is Not Just About Words
Reflect your USP in everything you do. The way you design your product, the
way you build your stores, the way your staff dresses and behaves, the
way you deal with your customers. Your brand’s actual behaviour is the
loudest storyteller of them all and any dissonance will be noticed.
Look at every touchpoint and benchmark it against the story you aim to
tell. If there is a disconnect, fix it. At some point it will blow up
in your face.”
This points out that a critical part of your USP is the aim. In the case of the woman with the daughter, her aim was to work. Of course everyone wants to work, but not everyone will use that as the focus of their story.
Two more points to consider:
“Truth #4: Connect your Branding Efforts to Your USP
Each commercial, branded entertainment programme or promo is a “mini-story”
within the overall framework of your brand. It should always connect
to your Unique Story Proposition.
Truth #5: Connect your Story Efforts to Your Bottom Line
A great story is nice, yet to make money, it has to press the “buy”
button in the customer’s brain. For this you need to ensure that your
story “ticks” the age-old behavioural triggers like emotion, contrast,
egocentricity, the power of beginnings, etc. Use them, and people will
respond. ”
Whether you spend the time to determine your USP or not, remember that you are NEVER not communicating.
