We talk about the wonderful concept of branding. Have any of us identified what our “brand” is to us or what our “brand” is to candidates and clients? It’s a collection of many things that create the identity of our business, the services delivered by the business, the way we do business, and the culture that is embodied in our business.
What are the elements of “brand?” Day of the week that you do something? Logo? Colors in the logo and lettering? Style of answering the phone? Office decor? According to The Free Dictionary, these are elements that constitute one’s brand. But it becomes more. It becomes an attitude, even a statement about what the customer chooses to use and what it makes them feel they’re saying about their self.
And the other thing that puzzles me (for the moment) about brand is the range that it can encompass. For example, there is bohemian compared with classic. And as long as you’re getting your work accomplished — with credibility — does it really matter which one is your statement about your company’s identity? Actually, yes, it does matter. It makes a statement about the market to which you’re trying to appeal. It acts as a magnet to those who become your constituents. So if bohemian is your style, then you more than likely are working with an artistic crowd still working on making an identity for their selves. They are the more dramatic and require the most qualifying and grooming.
Finally, there’s the question of whether brand is something that we actively choose or whether it evolves as our company develops. Those who start their business with a well-defined business plan have already targeted their market segment. With that guidance, there is cognizance of what it takes to appeal to that niche. Therefore, brand is to an extent already determined and is not a process of growing with the business. Those who are striking out on their own and on a shoe string have not had the luxury of creating that all-important business plan. Therefore, brand is something that happens on a trial and error basis and molded by what works best under the circumstances. The beauty of this is that there is no rigidity. As market pressures change, so can the dynamics of the business. Things will not collapse as the market for people who can program in BASIC changes to those who know SAP because the business is still evolving and moving with the trends The downside of this spontaneous response ability is there is little direction and an extremely small safety net when major market disruptions occur.We talk about the wonderful concept of branding. Have any of us indentified what our “brand” is to us or what our “brand” is to candidates and clients? It’s a collection of many things that create the identity of our business, the services delivered by the business, the way we do business, and the culture that is embodied in our business.
What are the elements of “brand?” Day of the week that you do something? Logo? Colors in the logo and lettering? Style of answering the phone? Office decor? According to The Free Dictionary, these are elements that constitute one’s brand. But it becomes more. It becomes an attitude, even a statement about what the customer chooses to use and what it makes them feel they’re saying about their self.
And the other thing that puzzles me (for the moment) about brand is the range that it can encompass. For example, there is bohemian compared with classic. And as long as you’re getting your work accomplished — with credibility — does it really matter which one is your statement about your company’s identity? Actually, yes, it does matter. It makes a statement about the market to which you’re trying to appeal. It acts as a magnet to those who become your constituents. So if bohemian is your style, then you more than likely are working with an artistic crowd still working on making an identity for their selves. They are the more dramatic and require the most qualifying and grooming.
Finally, there’s the question of whether brand is something that we actively choose or whether it evolves as our company develops. Those who start their business with a well-defined business plan have already targeted their market segment. With that guidance, there is cognizance of what it takes to appeal to that niche. Therefore, brand is to an extent already determined and is not a process of growing with the business. Those who are striking out on their own and on a shoe string have not had the luxury of creating that all-important business plan. Therefore, brand is something that happens on a trial and error basis and molded by what works best under the circumstances. The beauty of this is that there is no rigidity. As market pressures change, so can the dynamics of the business. Things will not collapse as the market for people who can program in BASIC changes to those who know SAP because the business is still evolving and moving with the trends The downside of this spontaneous response ability is there is little direction and an extremely small safety net when major market disruptions occur.
One thing is certain, brand will determine what type of clientele and what types of candidates will gravitate to you. Brand will determine who sticks it out with you. And brand includes things such as attitude, communication style, language, attention to detail, as well as the color and font style on your letterhead.
One thing is certain, brand will determine what type of clientele and what types of candidates will gravitate to you. Brand will determine who sticks it out with you. And brand includes things such as attitude, communication style, language, attention to detail, as well as the color and font style on your letterhead.