The Power of a Brand

I recently returned from a trip to Spain. I spent 5 days in Madrid and 2 days in Toledo. Although it was a trip of a lifetime and I feel so blessed to have had the chance to see our world from another perspective, I was so happy to get home to American soil!

Unless you're in a tourist district, you'll have a hard time finding someone who speaks English fluently in Spain. Although I know some Spanish, it was very hard for me to understand what people were saying around me. I learned very quickly how frustrating and isolating it feels to be unable to communicate with those around you.

The biggest thing that hit me square between the eyeballs while I was in Spain was my lack of a relationship with the brands there. Other than seeing the infamous "golden arches" here and there, I had no association to their brands. It really made me realize again how important a brand is.

Our brand is our promise to our customer about what they can expect from us. It is our promise of consistent quality, consistent product performance and consistent service that helps a customer trust that they will always get a consistent experience with our brand.

While in Spain, it was hard for me to have any preferences for retail stores, entertainment venues or restaurants because the logos/brand names had no meaning for me. I ask you to consider, what does your brand mean to your customer? What can they count on your brand to deliver consistently over time... time and time again? If you don't know, then figure it out. Then deliver it... consistently. Then promote your promise to deliver it, consistently. And then keep delivering and promoting it, consistently.

I think sometimes we forget that our brand is like a person! It has a personality and embodies who we are—along with a reputation that proceeds us.

Everything our brand says and does affects our brand. Everything others say about our brand affects our brand. If you're not proactively controlling your brand—and the meaning it has for your customers—then you are leaving your brand at risk.

Brands help people gain preference for your product or service before they've even had a personal experience with it. Do not take the responsibility of managing your brand lightly.

Last Friday, I taught a workshop entitled "The Building Blocks for Marketing Success" to 16 local Austin-area entrepreneurs. The Building Blocks help C-level executives understand how to prioritize their marketing efforts and write an effective, real-world marketing plan for their business. The workshop was based on the premise that they already had an effective and powerful brand for their business, then we build the marketing plan on top of that brand. What I found in the feedback was that several people in the room would also be interested in attending a workshop just on branding.

My friend and strategic partner, Ben Littlefield, and I are currently putting together a high-level branding and strategic marketing workshop for entrepreneurs and small businesses. If this is something that you'd be interested in attending, please let me know! Since we're still in development, this is you chance to weigh in on the process to ensure it's customized to meet your needs.

In the meantime, I'll be blogging about "The Building Blocks for Marketing Success" so check back regularly! I got fabulous feedback from my workshop participants about the high value of this event so if you're interested in attending, please let me know and I'll be sure you get an invitation to the next workshop!