How is brand strategy like gift giving?

Transcript

Your brand promise, which is the crux of your brand strategy – is the gift that your company brings to customers. So brand is a LOT like gift giving. At least, GOOD gift giving.

Have you ever noticed that some people have a gift for giving gifts? I have a friend like this. She gives the most spot-on gifts every time.

• There was the time that she brought me a freshly baked loaf of bread with homemade honey-butter, as well as a cookbook that showed me how to make the same bread if I really liked it and I still use that cookbook years later whenever I have a friend who needs some comfort food.
• And there’s the time that she gave me this vase that perfectly matched the aqua curtains in my new office.
• And there’s the time that she gave me a puzzle that featured doorways in Georgetown, where I used to live.

So, what do all these have in common? They made me feel known. They were different, but not ostentatiously different. And they were all specific to me.

Three of my nine laws for an ironclad brand are: empathetic, optimally distinct, and sharp edges. In other words: make your customer feel known, give them something that’s appropriately unique, and allow it to be specific to them.

What are some of the favorite gifts you have ever received? And what qualities do they have in common?

What is the gift your business brings the world? And, does it share these qualities of gifts that you appreciate receiving?

Think of your business as being a gift giver. One who makes a meaningful promise and fulfills it in a way that only you can.