Brand DNA: The Art of Brand Positioning and Purpose

Barry Hillier (https://barryhillier.com/) and Brian Hickling (www.catalystseventeen.com) are brand strategists who presented the following webinar on March 29, 2022.

A strong Brand is the north star to building strong business and marketing strategies, and much more.

According to U.S. Bank, 78% of small businesses fail because they lack a well-developed business & marketing plan. A strong brand is the north star for building strong business and marketing strategies, and much more. Branding was (and still is) misunderstood by being reduced to its aesthetic component: visual identity. But it is much more than that.

We will review what constitutes brand DNA, outline how to define your brand, narrate that brand, and increase your affinity for your brand over time. Brian and I are going to do more than talk. We also have a guided toolset to help you work with your brand stakeholders to help create and evolve your corporate brand.

A brand is a marketing or business concept that helps people identify a company, product, or individual. A brand has both tangible and intangible aspects. Both provide emotional and functional value. In short, your brand is the way your customer perceives you. This is important because great positioning, or branding, gives businesses greater control over the price and distribution. A coffee is simply the same beans, roasted and added to water. So, why is there a difference in price between your cup of Joe and Starbucks? Yup, branding.

It is critical to be aware of your brand experience and have a plan to create the brand experience that you want to have… a good brand doesn’t just happen… it is a well thought out and strategic plan. Many small organizations and start-ups neglect to spend necessary time thinking about their brand in this broad sense and the impact it has on their business.

But often, leaders really don’t understand the actual building blocks required to create a brand. People confuse branding with things like logos, slogans, or other recognizable marks. It’s much, much more. In spite of this, when companies start their branding with a logo or other tangible elements, they are missing the mark, and the true power behind a brand. “More than features, more than benefits, we are driven to become a member in good standing of the tribe. We want to be respected by those we aspire to connect with, we want to know what we ought to do to be part of that circle." – Seth Godin

A strong brand helps to define your promise to your stakeholders. A strong brand helps customers know what to expect. Your brand represents you and your promise to your customer. Your brand helps you create clarity and stay focused. Your brand helps you connect with your customers emotionally.

So wrapping it all together, the best branding is built on a strong idea… with a purpose and a mission. A crisp and simple idea that you and your staff can hold on to, can commit to, and can deliver upon. It needs to permeate your entire organization at all levels. And it’s not a marketing tactic - but it becomes your company’s DNA When your organization is clear on your brand DNA, and can deliver on the promise of the brand, you will see tremendous fruit of your labour - building brand loyalty - word of mouth and attraction of top employees.