I was never a big fan of ice cream until the last few years. But with days of increasing summer heat and now living close to a scoop shop, I’ve come to appreciate and look forward to indulging in an amazing variety of flavors and surprising tastes of my newest fan food.
This got me to thinking about what my favorite flavor is and why? And how does that relate to my brand persona. This is totally unscientific but when I stumbled on the Ben & Jerry’s what flavor are you quiz? https://www.benjerry.com/whats-new/2016/what-flavor-are-you, I took the 15- question quiz.
The results—I’m a Half-Baked Girl! Always on the move or ready for action. My friends know that they can count on me for a burst of energy whenever they’re feeling down. I’m my own motivational speaker, ready to inject some pep whenever needed. BTW, Ben & Jerry’s Half-Baked ice cream is equal parts Chocolate & Vanilla with Fudge Brownies & Gobs of Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough.
My point is that the quiz surprisingly pretty much mirrors my business model. I am a good listener that friends can count on to help solve problems, that goes for clients too. I’m a motivational speaker able to inject some energy whenever its needed. Both mirror my values and are at the core of my value proposition.
That’s what creating your brand is all about. What do you stand for? What are your core values? What makes your different from your competitors? A brand can best be defined as your character. It is something intangible that can’t easily be described but resonates with your clients and colleagues. It’s the ‘glue’ that makes your clients want to ‘stick’ with you. And when thinking about your values, it seemed to me that your brand is really ‘personified’ by your values.
I helped a recent client in the professional services area go out on his own. The first step was to capture his values. The values that kept coming up were Integrity, Service, Excellence, & Respect, which relates not only to the way he works with his clients, but also to his employees. From there we were able to craft key messages, develop a marketing strategy and revise his website.
So, take the time to determine your values first when building a brand. I think you will find it will help crystalize your business, professional and personal approach and act as a valuable guidepost throughout your personal and business life.
As for me, well I’m not really a fan of Cookie Dough & Gobs of Chocolate Chip but I will try it out and see how it tastes.
