Define Your Brand Identity
💠 GIVE YOUR BRAND A PERSONA 💠
Define Your Brand Identity by creating a face, presence, and characteristics for your brand.
Define Your Brand Identity
Define Your Brand Identity by creating a face, presence, and characteristics for your brand.
This is a powerful exercise that allows you to really 'connect' with the personality of your brand.
You'll begin by choosing a gender for your brand, and then spending some time dressing & refining your character.
Once you're done, grab the picture, and look at it while you answer the questions you'll find below.
Instructions for the Define Your Brand Identity Tool
This works kind of like a backwards form... but instead of picking which statements or concepts you agree with, you're going to dismiss the statements and concepts you disagree with.
Why do we do this process backwards like this?
We learn wisdom from failure much more than from success.
We often discover what will do, by finding out what will not do.
And probably... he who never made a mistake, never made a discovery.
Samuel Smiles (1812 - 1904)
The truth is that most people don't know how they feel, what they want, or where they stand on most issues.
BUT (big but!)... people DO know what they disagree with; in other words they know "what will not do".
For the most part, people are usually sure about what they don't like, what they don't want, and what they disagree with.
So, we've used this natural mental default to make this entire process easier for you.
Simply read through the statements listed below, one by one, and dismiss the statement if you disagree with it.
Let me say this carefully again... your task is to REMOVE the statements you disagree with - and ignore the statements that you don't disagree with. It's a process of elimination in other words.
Don't worry about how much you agree with the statement, or not; focus ONLY on removing the statements that you immediately disagree with.
At the end, what you're left with will be the balance of the statements, and this will be used to generate a crafted statement for you.
How to use the Define Your Brand Identity Fields
Follow the instructions in the example fields below to learn how to use the Define Your Brand Identity fields.
Remember that there are no right or wrong answers - just the information that you need to process.
You really can't get this wrong.
Any typing edits you make will be saved for you. This way, you are free to edit any of the statements to perfectly suit your individual situation.
Define Your Brand Identity Questions
Now that you've created a picture of your Brand Identity, we're going to answer some questions about this person.
The questions are designed to help you make this a useful experience - gathering insight about where you would aim your marketing efforts, for example.
Does Your Brand Identity have a Name?
This part of the exercise serves the purpose of giving your mind an identity to store characteristics behind.
This identity will make it much easier for you to store information about this character we're creating... simply because our minds store information behind identities.
Answering this question will help you apply this all of this knowledge practically.
How Old is Your Brand Identity?
Which target age group does Your Brand Identity belong to? You may select more than one.
Where is Your Brand Identity Located?
It's probably a good idea to use a map for some visual reference points, while you answer this question.
Take a moment to include country, state, region & city names in the relevant blocks. This info will come in very handy later when you are are deciding on target markets for products like AdWords, or considering TV or radio advertising.
Take a minute here to consider if your product can be sold outside your immediate locale. Are you able to ship internationally or meet with clients on Skype?
What are Your Brand Identity's Home & De Facto Languages?
Nowadays, it's very commonplace for people to do business, and conduct life, in one language, while they speak another at home.
As always, you are free to select more than two languages, as more may be applicable. You're also free to click & type to edit any of the fields, if you'd like to list specific languages from your region.
What is the primary language you will be using in your marketing?
Should you consider having your marketing translated into additional languages as well? People often respond very well to being addressed in their mother tongue.
What Race or Ethnicity is Your Brand Identity?
Even though it's not very PC to admit it, the truth is that there are ethnic & cultural segregations that influence our activities, where we live, the holidays & celebrations we participate in, and so much more.
By identifying the cultures & ethnicities we're targeting, we know how to reframe our own identity to more accurately speak to our target markets.
Does the ethnicity of Your Brand Identity align with that of Your Ideal Client? If different, is this an ethnicity that Your Ideal Client would relate to?
What is Your Brand Identity's Gender?
Another not-very-PC segregation, this again yields knowledge that allows you to target more specifically.
Think about it like this... if you wanted to find patrons for a French restaurant, you wouldn't market yourself at a fast food joint.
Likewise, if your product is targeted at men, you're better off buying time on a sports channel. If your target is the LGBTQ community, then targeting attendees at a rally will work.
The aim of this is so that you can get to know your client better, and reach them where they are likely to be.
Once you have this knowledge, it will be easier to make choices about where you can wisely invest your (usually limited!) marketing budget.
Does Your Brand Identity's Gender appeal to Your Ideal Client? Can Your Ideal Client see enough of themselves in the Brand Identity?
Think about it like this... if you wanted to find patrons for a French restaurant, you wouldn't market yourself at a fast food joint.
Likewise, if your product is targeted at men, you're better off buying time on a sports channel. If your target is the LGBTQ community, then targeting attendees at a rally will work.
What is Your Brand Identity's Marital Status?
It's funny, the way we treat marital status in the world... and how many different classifications & labels we have for being "NOT single".
The value of assigning a marital status here is all about the relatability of your brand again... old married folks don't like people who are up, and active, until the early hours of the morning, for example.
The value of assigning a marital status here is all about the relatability of your brand again... old married folks don't like people who are up, and active, until the early hours of the morning, for example. The IT industry understand loner night owls very well, on the other hand.
What is Your Brand Identity's Religion or Faith?
Once again, this classification of religion or faith, is about relating to Your Ideal Client.
If you're honoring the 'secular' Christian calendar in a Western country, but selling to a largely Muslim base, then most of your marketing efforts are wasted.
Merry Christmas means no more to a Muslim person, than Happy Ramadan does to a Christian.
Does the Religion or Faith of Your Ideal Client align with, or conflict Your Brand Identity's? Are you honoring your clients &l their practices, and helping them to feel included by your brand?
What is Your Brand Identity's Highest Level of Education?
When you're looking at the level of education, you're determining elements like the content you will speak about, and the tone & vocabulary you'll use in your marketing.
Again, you can pick multiple options if you are working with a range. You can also edit any of the fields.
Does Your Brand Identity match the tone, vocabulary & communication style of Your Ideal Client? People with higher education require a more precise application of vocabulary, while those at lower ends of the spectrum, want a more common language structure to be used.
Does your marketing speak to Your Ideal Client at their level of knowledge & understanding, or are you aiming above or below your target group?
How many hours per week does Your Brand Identity usually work?
Once again, working hours gives us a point of comparison between Your Ideal Client & Brand Identity.
Do you understand the level of commitment, dedication & hard work your clients put in? Can you show the same levels of effort?
What is the Company Size of Your Brand Identity?
Employer Size is of much more relevance in Business2Business (B2B) Marketing, where segmentation often takes places on company size & industry.
The services (and pricing) of most companies is geared towards specific segments of the market: corporate or big business, medium sized enterprises, or small businesses.
While it seems like a nice idea to land a big, fat corporate client for your business, are you actually geared for their needs? Do you have enough time & resources to deliver the scale of project they might require?
Smaller businesses require smaller projects, and have smaller budgets, because they have less resources to pull on. But it can be enough to keep you going until you are ready to take on bigger things.
The values below are employees as counted across all the branches the business has.
Employer Size is of much more relevance in Business2Business (B2B) Marketing, where segmentation often takes places on company size & industry.
The services (and pricing) of most companies is geared towards specific segments of the market: corporate or big business, medium sized enterprises, or small businesses.
While it seems like a nice idea to land a big, fat corporate client for your business, are you actually geared for their needs? Do you have enough time & resources to deliver the scale of project they might require?
Smaller businesses require smaller projects, and have smaller budgets, because they have less resources to pull on. But it can be enough to keep you going until you are ready to take on bigger things.
What type of Employer is Your Brand Identity?
Another common segregation used to define lists & target markets, with each type of employer requiring different approaches.
Here, it's useful to ask yourself questions like 'how can my product/service be used by these other segmentations?'
What Industry Sector is Your Brand Identity in?
Try not to limit yourself here; instead try to see HOW your product can be targeted towards each of these industries.
You are free to keep as many industries as you'd like to, and can edit the fields if you can think of one we've forgotten.
Which industry sectors should your marketing target?
What level of Decision Making Authority does Your Brand Identity have in their place of employment?
In order to sell products & services in the Business2Business (B2B) environment, you need to make it past the gatekeeper, and to the decision maker.
Are you targeting the right people? The people with the actual power to make the choice about a purchasing decision.
Do you need to target the decision maker? Can you target a lower level employee and motivate them to sell the product for you?
What level of need does your product or service address? Do the people making the purchasing decisions have the knowledge to understand why your product or service is beneficial?
In order to sell products & services in the Business2Business (B2B) environment, you need to make it past the gatekeeper, and to the decision maker.
Are you targeting the right people? The people with the actual power to make the choice about a purchasing decision.
Do you need to target the decision maker? Can you target a lower level employee and motivate them to sell the product for you?
What level of need does your product or service address? Do the people making the purchasing decisions have the knowledge to understand why your product or service is beneficial?
Which job titles would fall into the levels of decision making you want to target?
Which Job Title most suits Your Brand Identity?
A good rule of thumb when working with job titles, is that you go into more detail for lower job titles, so deeper into specifics. For higher level titles, focus more on the big picture.
e.g. an accounting software at a lower level may focus on the amount of time it saves you day-to-day. For a higher level job title however, the focus may be on the fact that tax rates & calculations are included for you, along with dashboard overviews of all activities, at a glance.
A good rule of thumb when working with job titles, is that you go into more detail for lower job titles, so deeper into specifics. For higher level titles, focus more on the big picture.
e.g. an accounting software at a lower level may focus on the amount of time it saves you day-to-day. For a higher level job title however, the focus may be on the fact that tax rates & calculations are included for you, along with dashboard overviews of all activities, at a glance.
What Media does Your Brand Identity consume?
Below you'll find examples of various kinds of media avenues. Your job is to remove those you do NOT think your Brand Identity would engage with.
A secondary way to use this list is as a starting point for when you're wondering how to market a particular product or service, or need to change your marketing avenue.
While this list of possible avenues is long, it is by no means exhaustive. So feel free to edit & add your own ideas.
Distribution avenues to consider for your marketing efforts. How do these align with thos you identified in Your Brand Identity? Do you have adequate experience of the type of media your target market is most likely to use?
What does Your Brand Identity typically do during the day?
Think about the Brand Identity picture you've created, and what their average day looks like, and identify the places where they might run have opportunities to promote your brand.
Think about the Brand Identity picture you've created, and what their average day looks like, and identify the places where they might run have opportunities to promote your brand.
What could Your Brand Identity do on a weekend or holiday day?
How do these activities align to those undertaken by Your Ideal Client?
Are you able to relate to how Your Ideal Client would spend their time?
How do these weekend activities align to those undertaken by Your Ideal Client?
Are you able to relate to how Your Ideal Client would spend their time?
What does Your Brand Identity want to express about your organization, product or service?
When Your Brand Identity looks at your business, product or service, what is it that you are actually selling? What need or desire is being fulfilled?
It's worth taking a moment to get an outsider, or even a few clients, to answer this question as well.
An accurate view of how people view your service can make it a lot easier to compile the content for your marketing.
This list of Customer Values is drawn from the Harvard Business Review, and the original source can be found at https://hbr.org/2016/08/the-30-things-customers-really-value.
When Your Brand Identity looks at your business, product or service, what is it that you are actually selling? What need or desire is being fulfilled?
A skilled copywriter can effectively use these values to create lead ins & angles for your marketing. These are your main selling points.
This list of Customer Values is drawn from the Harvard Business Review,
and the original source can be found at https://hbr.org/2016/08/the-30-things-customers-really-value.
What do Clients appreciate about Your Brand Identity's personality?
In this section, we're going to look at the personality of your brand, and identify statements for use in your content creation.
When you write marketing copy, there are layers of information. Primarily you may be speaking about the specific product you're advertising; but the subtext speaks to your great customer service, efficiency, rigorous standards, and more.
Far from being filler text, this is the information that will leave people with that 'unexplainable' good or bad feeling about you - and inform whether or not they will do business with you.
In today's competitive business market, customers can always find a comparable product at a comparable, or cheaper, price. So what subtext are you giving them that will make them choose you instead?
Take time here to complete the WHYs of the statements below. e.g. We innovate new solutions, such as a bespoke system for managing stock levels, which reduced overall stock management time by 50%.
Completing these statements will give you many of your hero & focus statements for elements like Elevator Speeches. This is also how you include all those random tidbits of information that you want to tell your clients, but aren't big enough to warrant an entire marketing piece.
This is also how you slip in those seemingly 'boring' bits of info that no one will read if you distribute them, such as white papers.
Simply click on the text in the fields below, & you'll be able to edit it. Your changes will be saved for you.
What does your marketing need to convey to clients about your brand? What does Your Brand Identity say about the way you conduct business?
What is Your Brand Identity's Voice & Tone?
In a nutshell, what we're ascertaining here, is whether you want to speak in the first or third person voice.
Simply look at the two columns below, and delete the statements you like the least. The column that you're left with more items in at the end, is your winner.
You'll never exclusively prefer first or third person voice, and there will always be instances where you swap over. But if you specify (and use!) this from the beginning, you'll add an air of professionalism to your writing, that only a Senior Copywriter would normally bring.
For the purposes of this exercise, we'll be using Life Coaches Toolbox as the placeholder company name. Feel free to edit where this name appears, to use your own company name.
Examples shown use both company & client in first (our, you) & third (Life Coaches Toolbox, the client) person voices.
Is Your Brand Identity's marketing voice in the third or first person?
(Life Coaches Toolbox, the Customer)
What does Your Brand Identity have to say about the following elements?
Pricing
How does your pricing compare to market averages?
What messaging must be conveyed about pricing?
Quality
How does your product or service quality comapre to market benchmarks?
What must be conveyed about product or service quality?
Value
What value does your product or service offer the client?
Which value propositions must be conveyed in marketing material?
Time
The final area of messaging we're going to look at, is time.
What messaging about time must be conveyed to clients?
What messaging about time must be conveyed to clients?
Generate Your Brand Identity Results
Generate Your Brand Identity Results
Now that you've worked through the various areas of focus, click the button below to GENERATE YOUR BRAND IDENTITY RESULTS.
The results will then appear below the buttons, and you'll have another chance to refine & edit. Simply click anywhere to type additional points, or use the trash icon to delete that statement.
When you're finished your edits, hit MAKE PDF to save the statement to PDF. The PDF view that is generated will also be editable.
If your device doesn't support PDFs, or you'd like to save the content elsewhere, then use the COPY TO CLIPBOARD button and the content will be copied for you.
Use the buttons below to generate your Brand Identity Results.
🎨 GENERATE YOUR BRAND IDENTITY RESULTS🎠 MAKE PDF - ONLINE OR DESKTOP
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