I am bombarded with countless emails each week about branding. Clearly branding is a huge part of marketing and is very integral in the building of our platform.  But I have a question – Does your brand represent what you do or who you are?

I believe that branding has everything to do with marketing your product or service, but at the same time, I believe it has everything to do with selling your company, or more specifically, selling yourself.

Think about the top brands today.  Apple, Coca-Cola, Sony and the list goes on.  All these companies have also shared something besides strong branding – strong leadership.  That’s not to say that there have been lapses in leadership, but if you look at the cycle, when leadership was at it’s greatest, so was business.  When leadership dropped, so did business and changes were made.

Here is the point.  Any business needs strong leadership as well as a strong brand.  I honestly think they go together.  Strong leadership will build confidence and trust. Might these be important components of  strong brand?

“Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. 

You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. 

And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.” – Steve Jobs. 1955-2011

I came across an article about Steve Jobs not too long ago (click here to see the article) and the author gave five branding lessons from Steve Jobs.  I have added my take on these lessons as related to leadership.

Dare to be Different.

Great leaders set themselves apart from the rest.  Their vision and passion are unique to their respective business lane.  That shared vision is what will make a strong brand.

Challenge the Status Quo

Don’t you think the leaders that figure out “the next best thing” might have a little advantage? Strong leaders cultivate creativity and the belief in their people is what produces the greatest results.

Create an Experience

Great leaders create an environment that is conducive to growth.  Would it strengthen the brand of your business if you were viewed as a “destination organization?”

Design Matters

Design in branding relates to creating a product that is designed to serve a purpose and designed to appeal to the client or customer.  Great leaders design a workplace that serves a purpose and that purpose provides fulfillment to it’s employees.  They also design a workplace that appeals to their workers.

Stay on the Leading Edge

I would suggest that “edge” for leaders is the willingness to take a risk.  And to take it without fear of failure.  Being on the leading edge means you have to take some chances. Otherwise, you will be just another bottled water on the shelf.

The next time you think about branding, think about who and not what you are trying to brand.  If the two don’t align into a common vision and purpose, you probably have a problem.

If your brand is based on the product you sell, it will last as long as you offer a great product for a good price.  If your brand is based on your leadership, you will sell a good product for a great price because the people believe in your people!

So what is your brand built on?  What you do or who you are?

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Barry Smith www.buildingwhatmatters.com 4/28/13  photo by author