Guest Post: How to Connect Your Brand with Reverence to Increase Your Social Impact

Continuing my guest post series, here is an article from Eben Greene, President and Vision Keeper of the top change management agency, ShiftUp. You've heard me talk about him before, he helped with the Omicle rebranding and we've partnered on projects.

___________________________

Eben Greene says...

Like meeting someone for the first time, your initial encounter with a business can leave a lasting impression. That feeling or belief in a company or product branding is powerful. It lays the groundwork for customer loyalty and energizing the market.

Yes, a brand includes a logo, tagline, color scheme, and imagery. But at its core, a brand is so much more.

• A brand that has a soul shares a passion with its customers.
• A brand with soul finds ways to connect with consumers on an authentic level.
• A brand with soul aligns itself within communities to further cultivate soulful connections.

Businesses are constantly evolving, introducing new products, and merging and consolidating operations. Changes like these can be disorienting to your brand, customers, and even employees. Communicating a consistent brand message during times of growth and change is more important than ever.

While some business leaders have embraced a branding strategy to fuel positive growth, it is easy to forget that a brand is dependent on the true feelings of the customer. For example, Starbucks Chairman Howard Shultz made many changes (over the last few years) after issuing a warning to top executives that the “Starbucks experience” has been watered down. “I take full responsibility myself, but we desperately need to look into the mirror and realize it’s time to get back to the core and make the changes necessary to evoke the heritage, the tradition, and the passion that we all have for the true Starbucks experience,” Schultz said in his memo.

Ultimately, customers want to have an authentic and positive experience with your company. If they trust and respect your products and services, they will become invested in your brand and culture.

Influencers versus Brands that Actually Connect With Their Audience

There’s a difference between just projecting a brand (influencers) and building a brand that connects. Today, we see a renewed interest in re-branding efforts to “bring back that special feeling”. These winning brands have souls.

Your brand is the personality behind your business that creates an experience.

“Soul branding” goes beyond its products. It builds a bridge between the values of its customers and fosters a community of like-minded individuals to further its mission. Consumers are demanding more authenticity and transparency from brands before deciding to align themselves with a company’s products and services.

By getting clear on the bigger picture and defining an authentic brand, you’ll come out ahead of the game. So how can you begin defining or redefining your brand? Here are a few helpful tips:

1. Define your ideal customer persona.
2. What are your brand values?
3. How and why do these values resonate with your customers?
4. What difference do you want your business to make?
5. What motivates you?
6. Dig deeper and ask “why” after each statement.

The effect of purpose-driven messaging is the key to growing your business and increasing your social impact. Are you ready to take a stand for your brand?

___________________________

About Eben Greene. Eben believes that authentic communication leads to lasting business success. His mission is to help clients create and communicate a meaningful connection with their market by aligning their vision, voice, and values. As the leader of the ShiftUp team, he ensures the delivery of exceptional work and the integrity of client relationships. Learn more about him and the ShiftUp Agency.