How to Build an Iconic Brand
Beth Strange
Beth Strange Strategy
As an Elite Performance Strategist, Certified High Performance Coach, speaker, and writer, I help extraordinary top performers and entrepreneurs to BE, DO, and HAVE what they want and need in their professional and personal lives.
A Phi Beta Kappa graduate with distinction from Penn State University with a degree in Linguistics, and Harvard Neuroscience Certification, I spent my early career as an educator, administrator, and business owner in the branding and reputation management industry. My guiding principle is to always do the right thing, a principle I believe is a professional's most valuable asset. My bottom line is measured by the satisfaction and success of my clients.
Prior to my full-time strategist role, I spent 25 years assisting high-profile and emerging corporations, academic institutions, groups, and individuals in defining and refining their presence and becoming influential by applying proven principles in reputation, brand, public relations, and image management. I’ve obtained certification as an internationally Certified Image Professional and Brand Analyst with extensive certifications, education, and experience in Presence Management industries.
Native Pennsylvanians, my husband, Michael, and I and our seven children have also lived in Hawaii, Georgia, and Maryland. Now that I’ve been a North Carolina resident for the past nine years, I never want to leave. I enjoy playing as a concert flautist, cherishing my children and grandchildren, serving in my church, training at the gym, appreciating performance cars, renovating our yacht, and regaining my perspective by the ocean.
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It’s numerable small, almost imperceptible elements that weave into a tapestry.
They’ve arrived by strategy and by default….Some built their brand brick by brick…others just kind of fell into it.
I don’t think Kim Kardashian has a brick by brick strategy….Warren Buffett…a lot more strategic.
There is kind of a magic potion and mix…Coco Chanel, professional athletes…
The Branding Pyramid….the bottom is Purpose. What is the brand’s purpose? That spills into what are the values, what’s the mission?…Your purpose will be wide spread.
What is the Personality of your brand? What are the characteristics? What is the visual identity of your brand?
What’s the Promise of the brand? What problem do you solve? What are you giving with your brand?
A lot of brands aren’t really providing much value and they are usually a flash and burn.
At the very top…this is where we really need to strategize and constantly be evaluating and controlling the Point of difference. …What makes you one-of-a-kind?
Unique is not the best word…what is the distinction?
You cannot build and iconic brand without any of these steps in the pyramid. It will fall over.
I will submit that we can and must control all of it.
We talk about image, brand, reputation, PR, presence…they all dovetail. Not one of them is an island.
This will be the pre-K version of the distinction between those: every individual has an image, but not every individual has a brand….a person’s image is essentially how they seem….generally this is the physical manifestation of a human being. Brand is an individual’s representation in the marketplace. As soon as a person appears in a market, they now have a brand….how do they appear…behave…communicate. Reputation are the long standing beliefs of others about your image and your brand.
Image and brand are self focused, self defined..reputation is other defined.
What is the definition of an iconic brand? …a very broad definition is…a person or product that inspires unbreakable loyalty in its people.
Apple….Disney…the most powerful brand in the world by all the metrics…was Lego.
…Unbreakable loyalty…is #1. #2…iconic brands polarize their people.
Nike.
That’s not a negative thing. We should all be polarizing. We should have people that are with us or not so much.
Polarizing is one of the smartest brand strategies for up and coming iconic brands.
Think about Coke and Pepsi.
Almond Joy and Mounds.
To build unshakable loyalty….in no particular order…
Be Distinct - then protecting that distinction
Appeal Emotionally to Our Community - Google’s emotional appeal to people is…we’re going to be easy for you to use
You Must Innovate. You must be able to pivot…realign. Netflix vs. Blockbuster
Generate Affinity For a Life/Lifestyle That Your People Want - Harley Davidson
Remain True and Committed To Your Purpose and Your Values - Coca Cola changed its formula and nobody liked it
Be The One and Only - Amazon…their one click checkout…even if its very small, what is the one and only
Concentrate on Your People, Not Your Product - Starbucks kills it with that…coffee was the product, but…it was all about the people
Become a Master Storyteller - Girl Scouts of America and their cookie sales…NorthFace is another one
Become Elite in at Least Some Area of What Your Brand Represents - Maserati…Coco Chanel
Start With the Focus Being on the Audience…and how great they can be or become before how great the brand is. It’s about the audience being paramount and how their life can be changed or blessed if they are involved in your brand.
If their brand is created around how great they are, they come and go pretty fast. If the brand is created around how great are my people…that’s what makes a long lasting iconic brand.
We drill down on these elements…so that we can serve our people in the best way that we can.
Go to the base of the pyramid and really define ‘what’s your purpose’? What’s your big Why, but what’s the big Why of your product? What’s the big Why for your people?
My mission…create abundance with good extraordinary people.
Don’t take any wooden nickels.
Be really thoughtful about your life. Be thoughtful about your actions. Live your life be design and not default.
bethstrange,com
Audio : Ariza Music Productions