make under – not over – your brand

So often we make the mistake of thinking that our brand needs a “makeover” when what it really needs is a “make-under“.

If you aren’t building a bigger role for your business in the lives of your clients, if customers don’t seem to want to refer friends and family to you, if they aren’t inspired by the greater purpose of your business in the community or the causes you support — if they just aren’t excited about your business much at all — let’s face it, you have a real problem.

If that’s the case, it would be easy to think that you need to redesign, refresh or totally renovate your brand. But before you expend the time, energy and money it will take to make over your brand, try a makeunder, instead.

Here’s what I mean:

Make decisions about your business underneath the umbrella of your brand. Create offers and design communications that fall underneath the spirit and promises that exist in your mission and vision statements. Make hiring decisions that support the promises that your business makes to its customers, and which fall underneath your long range plans. Set company policies that reinforce your brand’s personality; in other words, which fall under the tone and culture that you want to define your brand. And create a marketing plan for your business which is designed to communicate your brand — the story of your business, the mission and vision, your values and core objectives, the greater good that you do in the community and for the local economy — to your customers.

You might actually already have a spectacular “brand” (I hope that you, at least, believe this to be true!) But if you aren’t communicating what is at the core, heart and soul of your business, people will never be able to really see it or connect with you or your business. It’s like being out on a first date with someone but never telling them about yourself, what you believe in or what you want for the future. You’ve got to give people a chance to fall in love with your business!

Build a bigger role for your business in the lives of your clients—it’s going to be a great year!

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Elizabeth Kraus – 12monthsofmarketing.com
365 Days of Marketing is available on amazon.com in book and digital formats.