Greeting SPARKers!  We here at Spotlight Communications all hope that you’re making the most of this beautiful weather, because even the hardest working publicists know the importance of a periodic breather.  With that said, we’ll be taking a step back from writing SPARK over the summer.  No, we haven’t gotten lazy on you— we’re just hosting a series of special guest writers.  These people are the crème de la crème of the marketing communications world, and will provide you with the info you need to shine at your brightest.  So without further ado, we’d like to kick- off this newsletter with verbal branding guru Stephen Melanson discussing how your brand confidence can work wonders for your organization’s success. Take it away Stephen!  

Be One with Your Brand.
Good branding and confidence go hand in hand.  When brand positioning reveals itself in a simple, unified conceptual picture, then everyone in the organization will gain confidence. Think of branding as if you were preparing for a job interview, so you would be able to speak about your personal capabilities, and have the answers to the tough questions.  You should be prepared to speak about your company’s brand in the same way.   

Being Prepared isn’t just for Scouts.
Our favorite mantra is “always be prepared and confident.”  While it may seem basic, this is essentially what happens with strong branding. If you have a solid and straight forward brand then you should be able to handle any meeting, writing assignment, or challenge, because you can refer back to your brand for answers.  How might a manager solve a basic business problem? By first using the company’s marketplace positioning to guide them. Or, what should the website home page really say? Use your brand to figure it out.

Know Why You’re the Best.
What makes your organization better than your competitor’s? If you have an answer that you can stand up and are proud of, you’re in good shape and should feel pretty darn confident. But, if you don’t really know what sets your brand apart and have a tiny sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach, that’s a sure sign that your brand needs repositioning.  The scary part is that if you’re having trouble grasping this concept, chances are that confidence levels are relatively low across your entire organization.   

But it’s So Much More!
Ah, but you thought branding was a logo, a unique tag line, and some design standards, didn’t you (at least, some of you)? It’s a common misperception. Brand positioning originates in verbal concepts, which drive all of these other branding elements (which actually have to do with brand identity). The cart can’t come before the horse. Who’d be confident in their brand if it was represented by a logo and nothing else? Here’s an example. Volvo first decided on the verbal concept of Safety (as a marketplace differentiator), and then built a marketing approach around it. Safety is a highly resonant concept, but it’s a verbal one. They then used it to develop supporting language, images, scenarios, and a myriad of other advertising elements depending on the marketing channel.

So, the good news is that there is companywide enthusiasm to be gained through a strong brand and internal support.  So go out there and stamp your brand! Before you can blink, you’ll notice everyone’s confidence growing and the impact on your target audience increasing.