Activate: Building a Purposeful & Profitable Brand in a Tribe-Based Digital Culture

By Rainah Davis

We all have dreams. We all have that idea that we know could be life-changing- not just for us, but for others. You know- the thing that keeps you up at night, the thing that your mind drifts to when you think about what you want to be doing. Yup. That thing that you desire to bring to fruition, but you don't know how to start.

ACTIVATE is

• Language: English
• Publisher: GC Simmons Publishing
• Release date: Jul 13, 2020
• ISBN: 9781649455048

Book preview

SECTION I

LET’S TALK ABOUT BRANDING

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CHAPTER 1

BRANDING DEFINED

UNDERSTANDING THE DEFINITION OF BRANDING

The initial, most significant challenge entrepreneurs face is not truly understanding what branding is. During my coursework I was introduced to several authors and practitioners that changed my entire understanding of branding and digital marketing. One of those authors is Denise Yohn. She provides a profound, yet simple definition of branding: "simply put, your brand is what your company does and how you do it. Your brand is not what you say you are—it’s what you do." The ability to develop a profitable and robust brand is not only about advertising and identity marks, such as logos as carefully chosen color palettes.

The items above are commonly mistaken as your brand when in reality those items are a part of the brand identity. Identity marks, logos, and promotional items are still a very critical part of your brand. As a matter of fact, David Airey (2015) explains that there are seven elements needed to create what he defines as an iconic brand identity. Those seven components, are what he describes affectionately as the seven ingredients of your signature dish. Those ingredients are:

Keep it simple

Make it relevant

Incorporate tradition

Aim for distinction

Makeit memorable

Think small (it should be able to be minimized without losing detail)

Focus on one thing (one feature is better than two, three or more to make it stand out)

The key is to know the rules first. Pablo Picasso said, Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist. Lastly, Airey does suggest there are cases to break the rules, but those times should be the exception and not the rule.

The main point is that no matter how iconic your brand identity may appear, the brand’s success will primarily depend upon the company’s ability to provide consistent positive customer experiences. Because a brand is not what you say it is, it is what your audience says that it is. It is how they feel about what you are offering and ultimately it is about the trust they give you and the experiences that you give them. Branding is ultimately the great trust/experience