How to discover your WHY
It seems that splitting up topics are becoming a thing. It is not intentional, however, I believe that we have been touching on topics that deserve more than a cursory glance. The fear is we haven’t even done them justice, however, I also know that you are a better judge of that. So please, if these posts have helped in any way, please do leave a comment.
Going one step further with truthfulness and revealing the reason for this particular post, which is making the world a better place. But, how does writing about branding, communication and brand image make the world better? Doesn’t it give more power to brands that seem to have too much?
No.
Why?
The core of this article is not a quick fix to all your branding woes. It is written to cause you to think about how to make your brand grand especially in the eyes of its Target Groups. It doesn’t stop there though. We can all agree that what I am saying isn’t exactly new. However, the difference is perspective. The idea for all these posts is to make you desire that your brand adds value to the world around it. This is “WHY”… what is your brand’s specific “WHY”?
For many, brand truth had to be manufactured. It is a marketing ploy gotten from consumer insight to make the product more relate-able. However, there is a flaw with this approach, it might not seem much, but, it simply is not true and you cannot manufacture truth. Also, if you don’t believe in what you sell, how do you expect the buyer to buy into your pitch? In this scenario, you limit your sales, no matter how good your salesman is.
… what is your brand’s specific “WHY”?
Simon Sinek, in his much-acclaimed Ted talk, explained using apple as an example that “people don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it”. Hence, if you don’t know why you do what you do, you present a weak proposition to those you expect to buy into what you do.
Another world-renowned leadership expert Patrick Lencioni gave the story of the CEO of a small company finding it hard to resolve why they were in business. Many frustrating attempts of trying to create a brand truth led to the CEO confessing, that the reason the company was formed, was to create employment for young people and if their current business failed, they would start another business just to keep young people off the streets and doing something that matters. Hence, it isn’t far-fetched to say that knowing your brand truth sharpens your brand and business goals!
So, someone might ask, what is Apple’s why? Apple’s message is simple; we want to break the status quo. This truth is what differentiates them from other tech companies. This truth is what enables the company to make brash moves. Moves that may be heavily criticized but soon enough the “competition” copies. Competition in the last sentence is in quotes because when you discover your truth, you create a niche for yourself, a space to be original, and space where there is no direct competition (per se). You walk into space where you can innovate with precision. Your brand truth would be the nexus and give validity believability and coherence to all your brand does.
So how do you discover your brand truth?
It is simple (in theory). What is the history of the brand? Or if you are in the process of creating the brand, then ask yourself the reason for creating your brand.
To find your brand truth is to keep asking why until there are no more whys to ask, and you will be surprised at the revelation.
I know, that in discovering your brand truth, you not only become ‘the big fish in the small pond’, it also makes your processes sustainable while pushing your brand from the dangerous place of functionality to the promised land of resonating emotionally with your target consumers.
...knowing your brand truth sharpens your brand and business goals!