What’s your brand essence?

by Jeremy Moss

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Branding Tips

Let me ask you what does your brand represent? And when I ask that question, I don’t just mean what are you selling, either. In this recent article, I presented an example that showed why Apple doesn’t just sell electronics. They are selling an emotional, innovative and sensory experience with technology.

So let’s look at somebody else in a different industry. Let’s look at NIKE. When you think of NIKE, what do you envision that the brand represents? For many people, they would probably just see that NIKE represents quality sporting goods. While that is true that they do sell sporting goods, their real brand essence represents so much more than just that. At the root of the NIKE brand is 3 words… Authentic Athletic Performance. These 3 words must filter through every business or social activity at NIKE. They’re in the business of helping people perform to their potential. To help you be the best you that you can be. Their products just help you get there.

Myself, I'm a big fan of the NIKE Armchair Quarterback collection.

The entire brand essence of NIKE was well captured and delivered in the Mel Gibson film What Women Want, when Gibson, who plays the role of a New York Advertising Creative Director is pitching a TV commercial idea to NIKE executives. The commercial simply shows a woman on an early morning jog on a cool wet day. The beauty of this idea is the connection that the narrator makes between the woman and the road, describing how non-judgemental the road is toward the woman. It really doesn’t care what fashion she is wearing. All it cares about is the fact that she takes the time to come for a visit from time to time. The spot ends with the tagline: no games, just sports. NIKE.

Just in that simple execution, the idea of emotionally connecting the actress with her surroundings just reinforces that NIKE is not about the product as much as it simply exists to help facilitate the experience.

So What About Your Brand?

So I encourage you to figure out what your brand represents to your consumers. Do you sell homemade bread or do you comfort people with sweet memories of Grammie’s kitchen? Do you sell cars or do you deliver the ultimate driving experience? I’d like to think that for ourselves, Fusebox represents a youthful, fresh approach to marketing by adding value with reliable results. Challenge your brand and let it mean something to your audience.

This helpful free guide can also help you discover who your audience truly is. It might not be who you think:

What’s your brand essence?

So What About Your Brand?

The complete guide to identifying your dream customers

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