Brand is not really this weird nebulous thing …
it’s a much simpler concept than you think.
TRUE STORY — THIS ACTUALLY HAPPENED!
“Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Cancun!”
What …?
I was jolted out of my podcast playing in my headphones.
I mean I knew I was tired, but was pretty sure I didn’t get on a plane to Mexico when I boarded in Atlanta.
Surely, they check these things …? They won’t really let you get on the plane you’re not supposed to be on …?
“Just kidding! Welcome Fort Lauderdale!”
Phew.
Spirit Airlines has a sense of humor.
Their entire brand is fun, playful, sunny.
Their website is a bright, fun, playful, sunny yellow.
I think they only ever fly to fun, playful, sunny places.
Had I been on another airline, and the same announcement was made, I would have definitely panicked.
But somewhere at the back of my head, I knew I immersed in “Spirit land”, and almost expected the tongue-in-cheek, funny announcements. It would be on brand for them to say something like that.
We talk about brand as though it’s this nebulous, difficult to pin down thing.
In reality, it’s just a collection of expected, cohesive behaviours.
We call those behaviours “being on brand”.
BRAND IS BEHAVIOUR
When I’m being on brand, I like to keep things light and playful too — after all, the more you create a playful, fun environment, the easier it is to understand, to connect and to be.
I like to take pomposity out of the equation, although sometimes I struggle with turning off the wordy automatic pilot in my brain created by too many years using corporate-speak.
I like to break things down, then re-assemble them in easy to understand language, and even easier to do processes.
I learned this from moving around a lot, and needing to come up to speed on my new environment quickly.
Moving around is part of my brand. Learning new stuff quickly is part of my brand.
BRAND IS SPECIFIC
You also have your own specific collection of behaviours — so you are actually being you, being on brand all the time too, whether you explicitly notice it or not.
You have a specific way of starting to communicate with new people you don’t know well.
You have a specific preference for how you create things — content, dishes, designs.
You have a specific manner in which you best get things done — work, admin stuff, fun stuff.
You have a specific way.
You have a brand.
You ARE a brand.
Fine, Naima. I am a brand. What do you want me to do about it?
Join me in my upcoming webinar and I’ll tell you! Click here now to sign up