When you’re ready to position your company in the mind of your market, there’s one thing that will immediately set you apart: distill your brand and let that clarity power all your communication efforts. It’s a simple idea, but a difficult practice to begin.
Here are five steps to help you distill your brand.
1. Identify What’s Unique
Ask yourself what’s truly unique about your brand. There’s something about your company that sets you apart from the crowd, something you offer that no one else delivers in quite the same way.
Take technical support, for example. Every company offers it, but people choose one provider over another for very specific reasons: speed, on-site availability, preparation, or patient customer support. What is it about your offering that makes customers choose you instead of your competitors?
2. Narrow Your Focus
There’s a familiar saying in the service industry: you can have something done fast, cheap, or well, but not all three.
Which one defines you?
Are you a speedy solution, a quality-driven solution, or a cost-focused solution? Be honest. “Good enough” isn’t the same as being one of only three companies in North America to hold a specific certification. And “timely service” isn’t the same as “delivery within 36 hours.” Narrowing your focus helps your audience understand exactly where you excel.
3. Be Creative
Find a way to communicate your message that stops people in their tracks. Pants off at a trade show? A phrase that makes people smile? An image that makes them pause and think twice?
Creativity isn’t about being outrageous for its own sake, it’s about expressing your message in a way that feels unmistakably yours. Build that into your brand identity and stand out from the crowd.
4. Keep It Simple
Once you’ve answered the hard questions, simplify. What matters most to your market? What is your company really about?
If you can define that in a couple of clear sentences, you’re close to your starting point. Otherwise, you risk saying a lot without actually communicating anything.
5. Keep It Real
Authenticity matters. Honest answers about who you are, and who you’re not, resonate far more than polished platitudes. False promises may attract attention, but they won’t earn long-term loyalty.
If you discover something that needs to change as you work through this process, that’s a good thing. Make the change first, then let it shape your brand.
Once you know who you are as a company, you’re ready to present your brand to the world. That clarity shapes everything. And as your business evolves, you’ll be able to watch the face of your brand evolve with it. If you’re ready to sharpen your position, contact us to get started.
