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My last article Brand - what it is and what it isn't hopefully moved how you have thought traditionally about "brand" (logos, icons, symbolism, styling, colour, or whatever) to a new mindset encompassing:

PROMISE. DELIVERY. RELATIONSHIP. VALUES. EXPERIENCE
As mentioned in that article, we are all trying to carve out a lucrative niche in an increasingly competitive market environment. We have to dig deep to hang on to those vital relationships that feed (sometimes literally) our existence and growth.

So, it's all about building distinctive and enduring relationships.

It is in these words that we see a

clue as to how to use brand as a commercial "glue". Brand must be used to differentiate. Or you will die! This is the catch-cry of brand and marketing experts. In fact a very user-friendly book has been penned on the subject "DIFFERENTIATE OR DIE: SURVIVAL IN OUR ERA OF KILLER COMPETITION" by Jack Trout - who is internationally recognised as the guru of positioning. His marketing, branding and positioning handbooks are written in easy to understand lingo. Well worth reading! But I digress.

What is positioning? This is a new word I hear you say…

Positioning is all about how the consumer of your brand perceives it in relation to your competitors. It is also about how you manage, influence, or take ownership of that consumer "head space".

Obviously, if you stand out (like some of those powerful, evocative brands I mentioned in BRAND - A JOURNEY) then you stand a good chance in a world of clutter, of also-rans. But it is hard work; and where do you start?

Well, believe it or not, we have now come full circle - back to my first article (BRAND - AN INTRODUCTION)! In that article I presented to you that sweaty brow, clammy hand, voice choking scenario of the so-called elevator speech/pitch (or, as I believe the Americans call it, the "martini monologue"). It is the summation of what we do, how we do it, what our brand promises and delivers, and why this is important.

Today, getting that 60 second sound-bite right is imperative for many reasons. The encapsulation is vital for it addresses the need to answer some very pithy - "what is it that makes us different to others? What would compel a potential consumer to form a relationship with us?"

And it is because our audiences have such poor attention spans that we must endeavour to sum it all up in a tidy and concise way. And deliver it with measured pace, focus and efficiency. Whether it is for a proposal for new business, a credentials piece (a profile document or flier), a web page, an advertisement or a direct marketing campaign.

Where does this summation come from?

When I work with clients we agree on a brand strategy that ultimately culminates in giving birth to a powerful and compelling brand story.