Image is Everything! – Pt 2
by Trisha Ahlman
You have to know it before you can grow it: It’s an evolutionary process!”
It’s your job to lead your company and visualize its grand future, but defining your brand can sometimes be overwhelming. Is it a contradiction to say you have to know it before you can grow it and it’s an evolutionary process in the same statement? No. Let me explain.
One of the basic principles of branding, according to expert Scott Bedbury, relates to “cracking the genetic code” of your brand. Cracking the code of your brand DNA takes time and patience. The question then becomes, how can I do it if I’m not fully aware of what direction the company will take in three, five, or ten years? The answer is “It’s an evolutionary process”.
Your image is everything as we stated in part one of this series. However, if you are just starting your business, it’s more important to achieve a professional image than it is to think the perfect brand will be born on the first attempt. Don’t distribute poor materials in the beginning because you are waiting to break the magical DNA code.
Let’s look at some very famous cases: BP, Coca Cola, IBM, Payless Shoe Source, and many others have evolved into the brand they are today. BP launched a new look, new logo, and new campaign in the year 2000; amazingly, the company has been around for nearly 138 years and has gone through ‘many’ changes since its inception.
What I’m saying is that you can build and evolve your brand over time. Don’t worry too much that your ground breaking corporate identity, logo, and brand are not perfect from the get go. Focus instead on your image, your presentation, your materials, and your professional appearance.
Remember – Image is everything!
Trisha Ahlman is the CEO of Augment Marketing Group and has nearly 20 years experience in marketing for corporations and small businesses. She sits on several creative and strategic development boards nationwide. “Inspired by growth” from its inception, Augments mission is to inspire growth in all businesses large or small when developing strong brands. We believe in inspiring, learning and growing. She can be reached at
trisha@augmentgroup.com
or visit
http://www.inspiredbygrowth.blogspot.com.
