What do you think of when you hear the word brand? 

Most think of logos, colors, websites, business cards etc. But when it comes to developing brands, most experts in the space regard those things as extension or interactions of the true brand. 

According to branding guru Marty Neumeier,

A brand is not a logo. A brand is a person’s gut feeling about a product, service or organization.

I like to think of a brand as a person.

What are they like? What are they passionate about? Are they funny or are they serious? Are they feminine or masculine, or a mixture of both? What does their voice sound like? Is it peaceful and calm or is it stirring and catalytic? What do they value? What do they believe? 

These are all things we observe in the people around us and according to how these different attributes of people affect us, we decide if we want to continue connecting with that person.

Eventually when the relational equity grows to a certain point we call these people friends. 

The same can be said about brands. Millennials and Gen Z are increasingly making values-based buying decisions, which is making it more and more important to keep your brand clear and consistent regarding your values and the feelings you want your brand to be creating in your customers. 

Soraya Hashem said it like this in a recent interview:

“[Personal] branding is what people say about you when you’re not in the room.”

She spoke about this specifically in regards to personal branding, but I believe it applies to branding in general. Your brand is the culmination of your core values and personality associated with your brand. So if this is true, the first thing to do in order to establish a clear and strong brand foundation is identify these core values and brand personality traits. 

3 Key Questions to Ask When Developing Your Brand

Below are some key questions to ask when developing your brand. Just brainstorm ideas, words and key phrases regarding the questions below. I find it helpful to write down every idea... even if you don't think it's a good one. Most of the time we have to think through a lot of different ideas before we land on one that truly fits.

Once you've written down a list for each question, revise your list and pick out your top 3 to 5 answers out of each category. These answers will help your brand have a frame of reference as it develops further.

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1. What does your brand care most about?

If you think of your brand as a person, what are they getting stoked about? What are they talking to everyone they meet about? How do they like to help people? 

2. What is your brand’s personality like?

Are they laid back or catalytic? Are they funny or are they serious? Are they loud or reserved? How do their core values play out in their life? How does your brand make decisions? What does your brand think is important?

3. What are your brand’s friends (customers) like?

What are their core values? What do they care about? What do they enjoy? What do they need help with? How will your brand fit their needs and build trust with them?

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I hope you find this helpful! If you need help building your brand, from consulting to visual identity and brand development, Outpour is here to help! We love helping brands make life long friends :)