Your Brand As Your Partner

Nice LOGO - Pink

Written by: Nice Branding Agency

Categories: Deep Thinking

You might have a business partner. Or you might have employees on your team that you work with as partners on a project or on the business overall. But, have you ever considered that your brand can also be your partner? In fact, we would argue that your brand plays a larger role than all of the members on your team together. And we aren’t saying that your team members don’t matter. It’s actually the opposite. Your team members and business partners are the people who execute the brand. But in order for them to do their jobs well, and to connect with customers, they’ve got to have a brand to align with. You see, the brand is not just the logo. Your brand isn’t your color palette or font set. Instead, your brand is the foundation that informs who you are and how you want to be perceived. Your brand is your positioning statement, attributes, and your overall visual direction. Once you have these foundational branding elements in place, your team can live them out, consistently connecting people with your company; just as one person connects with another. So, how is your brand your partner, exactly?

YOUR BRAND INFORMS DECISIONS

First off, your brand does a lot of the heavy lifting when it comes to decision-making. The foundation you’ve set for your company includes a positioning statement. This statement tells the world who you are, and also who you are not. By setting your position, you’re creating boundaries around what you will and will not do as a business. This is instrumental in determining which direction to go from a high level, as well as who to hire, what products or services to offer, how you should market, and more. Your brand attributes also provide context to your position. When you have a set of defined brand attributes in place, you can easily decide what you will and will not do, based on who you are.

YOUR BRAND DOES BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

In addition to helping set the structure for your business, both internally and externally, your brand helps drum up business. By having a brand in place, brand support can be organically developed to tell your story. This story can then make its way in the world, impacting your community and your target in a manner that resonates. Then, when your team is introduced to a potential client or customer, the brand has already paved the way. People have heard of you, and seen you. And that makes it easier to form a relationship that leads to a sale.

YOUR BRAND HIRES PEOPLE

Once you have sales, you need people to deliver on those sales. Here comes your brand again! Your brand is your partner in HR, too. Having a brand that aligns with who you truly are as an organization helps potential hires get an understanding of why they would want to join your team. Your brand, if created correctly, will live and breath your attributes and positioning statement. This means that you’ll start to see that you’re attracting the right people. For example, if Nice Branding Agency states that we build bold brands, we will start to pull in people who also want to be involved in building bold brands. And naturally, we will repel people who don’t want to build bold brands. This saves us tons of time and heartache in the hiring process. Also, your brand is a valuable asset. Just like pay and benefits are an asset to an employee, working with a company that has their ducks in a row and knows exactly who they are is a trait that employees are looking for in the job search. It gives them something tangible to latch onto and be a part of.

YOUR BRAND KEEPS PEOPLE

Finally, your brand is your partner in keeping your existing employees happy and engaged. As we’ve said time and time again (sorry, not sorry), your foundational branding sets boundaries that define success in your organization. Having these clear lines in the sand allows your existing team to know where they stand. It informs employees in a manner that makes sure they are all on the same page. And when a team is all on the same page, efficiencies in communication are apparent. This aids in job satisfaction and limits frustrations among team members. People are also proud to be associated with organizations with strong branding and brand support. There are so many ways your brand can be your partner, if you let it. Start with foundational branding, and watch how so many of your frustrations in business are relieved. And how your business, your employees, and your customers are all aligned in understanding what makes your business matter. If you’re looking for a partner, contact the team at Nice Branding Agency. We’d love to talk about working together.