Authentic Branding is the Only Kind Worth Talking About
I know authentic is the buzzword of all buzzwords right now. But you may not have heard it in front of the word branding. When I began studying advertising, I was captivated by the nuance of everything; the careful crafting of language, colors, designs was all fascinating. That hasn’t changed for me! But how I use them has.
Authenticity isn’t rare. It’s just rarely done correctly in business because it requires a bit more work than just saying “I do X and I want to sell Y to Z”. It requires thoughtfulness and intention.
It requires diving deep into who you (personally and as a company) are, what your values are, and what value you add to your customer’s lives.
It’s why I have a ridiculously long brand exploration workbook and why 90% of my branding process is done in my head. It’s why self awareness is incredibly important. It’s why the branding process can feel like therapy instead of a business transaction. But once you dive in to that process and come out on the other side, you end up with something far more worthwhile than a nice logo.
When you brand your business from a place of authenticity, your direction, purpose, and voice are all crystal clear. It infiltrates everything you do.
The best part: because authentic branding is a real, true, part of who you are and what you do, it’s not an accessory to your actions. It is your actions.
This isn’t something I can boil down to “3 easy steps” but here are a few questions, taken straight out of my brand exploration workbook, to help you start thinking about what an authentic brand looks like to you.
Why did you start your business?
What are your brands core values?
What do you want your business to be known for?
How do you stay motivated?
What problem are you solving for people?
Why do people have that problem?
When you complete a project or sale, what makes you feel like it’s a job well done?
