Posted on: October 3, 2019
By Nancy Marshall, The PR Maven®, for Greenlight Maine
A brand is not a logo or a tagline. It is not even what a company says it is.
A brand is the feeling that a customer gets when they think of a company.
For example, you might love Apple products.
Or you might love Sugarloaf.
Or maybe you only fly on American Airlines.
Whichever brand is your favorite, the feeling you have in your heart and the thoughts you have in your mind about that company are what defines a brand. In other words, the brand resides in the hearts and minds of a company’s targeted audience.
A great example is Harley-Davidson. People love Harleys so much that they call themselves HOG members, an acronym for Harley Owners Group.
People who love Sugarloaf call themselves Sugarloafers.
When people are willing to define who they are by your brand, they are your brand ambassadors. Their love of your brand is the most powerful energy in marketing. It drives word-of-mouth marketing, which is the best kind of marketing anywhere.
A brand manifesto is a document that the company creates to give its brand ambassadors the story they can tell others.
It is a company’s unique story told in a compelling manner and epitomizing all the characteristics, qualities and beliefs that make the company stand out from the pack and helps differentiate one company from another. Strong differentiation is the foundation of a strong brand.
So, think about your company’s story. How would you like your brand ambassadors to talk about your company? What makes customers love your products, services and even your employees?
You know the Bonnie Raitt song “Something to Talk About”? Well, the brand manifesto gives your customers something to talk about! Bonnie goes on to sing, “how about love” and the strongest brands conjure up powerful feelings of love in the hearts and minds of its customers.
Think about how much Harley owners LOVE their motorcycles!
