When Branding Goes Wrong

While we've already discussed what branding is here, it's important to recognize that branding is so much more than the visuals you use when developing a brand.

It's quite difficult in today's marketplace to discuss branding without hyperfocusing on the visual aspect. But the real spotlight should be placed on what I believe is the real issue when branding of an organization goes wrong.

There is one word that I think sums up all the issues regarding many branding conundrums;

Alignment.

Or lack thereof.

One of the themes here at Phrazo is "Brands are People.". This highlights one of the most neglected aspects of a brand. Not only are an organization's people one of the most neglected, it is one of its most vital.

Let me explain.

When it comes to the matter of a brand, there are a lot of parts and pieces that make it quite difficult to determine where one can go wrong. But an organization's people rarely gets any mention.

“People relate to people, and if your brand feels like people, they’ll relate to you, too.” - Laura Busche

In many organizations, people get lumped into human resources. It's where businesses focus on how to leverage or make your teams more efficient. But rarely do we include these resources in meaningful discussions about brand. After all, they represent the very tip of the brand spear.

If our people are not aligned to the very mission, vision, and values of the business, they will not be compelled to live out the purpose of the company, nor will they engage customers in a manner that best represents those values.

So where should we go when the people part of our brand is misaligned?

As leaders, we should ensure that we are modeling the mission, vision, and values of the business both internally and externally. If we're management, we should be facilitating and managing our teams to sing from the very same song sheet. And if we are team members, we should take inventory of our actions and behaviors and ask the question, "are we holding the banner of our brand through every interaction?".

So, is your brand breathing?

Photo by Alexander Suhorucov