Confusing Roots
In many recent conversations with potential clients, I’ve realized how confusing the word “brand” really is when describing my services. “Brand alignment” doesn’t seem too involved if you think of “brand” as simply a logo.
Unfortunately, the term “brand” has roots in the physical marking of both cattle and slaves as property. It then evolved during the Industrial Revolution as more businesses needed to differentiate themselves from one another. Today, most people think of a logo, website, or maybe messaging when they hear the term “branding.” But even among marketers and branding experts, there is debate and a wide variation in how the word is used.
A Different Way To Think About Brand
At Rachel K Group, I define brand as how you show up and make a difference in the world. This can apply to large organizations, individuals (i.e. personal brands), and everything in between.
When I talk about brand – especially related to alignment – I am referencing these four areas:
- Culture: who you are
- Product (or Service): what you do
- Experience: how your customers feel about you and their journey with your company
- Expression: what you look like and sound like (how your customers identify you)
Similar to personal development, companies can (and I believe should) invest time and resources in better defining themselves in each of these areas so they can be more intentional about how they want to evolve and grow.
Prioritizing Alignment
In my experience, this only happens if the leader of the organization deems this important or there is an influential member of a C-suite with authority who pushes a brand alignment initiative forward.
While it would be more accurate to call what I do “business self-actualization,” I think this will cause even more confusion than exists today! So, for SEO and many other reasons, I’m sticking with brand alignment for now. 🙂
An Outside Perspective
Trying to figure out brand alignment from inside an organization is nearly impossible. Most companies lack the resources or expertise needed to bring a fully objective perspective.
That’s why organizations hire people like me to help. Whether you are building your business from the ground up or are looking for a renovation, I’d love to discuss how I can be of service.