In his book “The Business of Expertise,” Author and Entrepreneurial Advisor David C Baker describes the inability we have to “read the label from within the jar.” Basically, what he means is that it's impossible for us to truly see what our outward-facing messaging is because we are looking at our environment from a completely different point of view. In our day-to-day cycle of “doing the work”, we lose the ability to shift our perspective and see what we’re producing from an outsider’s view. In branding, we call this “Brand Position.” When it comes to your community or town, you could think of this as the reputation or “vibe” that your city exudes. Examining brand positioning is a crucial first step in diagnosing misalignment between what we think we are saying about ourselves, our business, or our town and what is actually being portrayed to the public. You tend to see this disconnect more often in municipalities because there is a tendency to look inward to solve communication problems. It takes a decent amount of courage and trust to ask the questions that are needed to truly diagnose and identify what message we are sending. To get the true picture of your current brand identity, it will take more than looking within or even looking in the mirror. It's essential that we step outside our comfort level and relinquish some control to allow for unique perspectives. This can be done by creating an advisory board, inviting public input, hosting walking tours, hiring consultants and branding professionals, having candid discussions with entry-level staff, talking to investors who DON'T come to town, or customers who AREN'T engaging with your business.
Step outside of your jar. Does the label fit the contents? If not, it may be time to adjust your brand position to accurately reflect the direction that your business or community would like to be heading.
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