by Tony Shelton, President Shelton and Caudle, a division of Vollmer Public Relations
If you’re in business, you ARE your brand.
So are your employees. What each of you says and how you interact with others is an important part of what people know about your company.
Your brand is the whole set of impressions and reactions – often emotions, too – that people have to your product or company. And it’s more than your logo, although that’s important. Reputation plays a definite role. (How do you react to seeing the letters B and P and that green flower/sunburst right now?)
Your brand is the intangible sum of your company’s and/or products’ attributes.
Here’s a test. Ask yourself what you say when somebody says: Tell me about your company. Can you do it in less than 30 seconds? Now ask a few employees to answer the same question and see how closely their responses match yours – or don’t.
Your company message has a huge impact on your brand. You only have 30 seconds, remember. A good message tells current and prospective clients how what you do provides value to them.
To get yourself started on your messaging, fill in these blanks: “At (your company), we (what you do) for (your clients) so they can (clients’ objectives).” (That’s your elevator speech.)
For example: “Here at Acme Fun Supply, we provide affordable cotton candy machines to the leaders in the carnival industry, so they can met their sales targets in providing treats for kids and their parents.”
Also, make sure your messaging is up to date. It could be time to refresh your brand. If your main business once was selling fax machines, you’ve probably changed your focus in the past few years. Your brand, including your messaging, should reflect that. Just as important, you need to be telling people about that change every chance you get.
So should your employees, consistently.
Right now, go ask your employees what they’re saying about the company. But first, be sure and ask yourself!
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