I hired a graphic artist to create a logo for a new program I’m launching and when she sent me the first draft I realized I had made a big mistake.
It’s for a program that’s all about standing out with your message and she had an image of a megaphone in the logo.
Now, if you know me at all, you know that I don’t believe in “shouting” your message but rather sharing your message. So clearly this kind of message in my branding wasn’t going to work for me.
It was my fault that she didn’t get it because while I had shared the colors, fonts, design, etc. that I wanted, I forgot to include the most important part.
My Authentic Brand.
You see, all those design elements are part of your Visual Brand, and they’re important but they can’t stand alone. I like to think of your Visual Brand as the glitter that represent the face of your brand.
But what really counts, what really attracts your dream clients to you, is your Authentic Brand. I like to think of your Authentic Brand as the heart and soul of your brand. It’s how you show up in your business and in this world.
[bctt tweet=”Your Authentic Brand is the heart and soul of your brand.” username=”cindyschulson”]
All the elements of your brand – the visual, written, spoken and implied – have to work together to create a cohesive understanding of what you’re all about.
So here’s what I shared with her…
“My brand is all about “marketing from within”. It’s about leveraging your passions and strengths in your business, and above all, showing in an authentic way. This program is going to teach people how to get clarity about who they help and what they help them with, and create a message that communicates not just what they do but what they stand for in their business.”
As soon as she got it she came back to me with the perfect logo. I just love it because it’s a clear expression of what I’m all about.
So here’s my challenge to you.
Take a look at all the elements that support your brand — your logo, tag line, social media profiles, website, bio, etc. Are they cohesive in terms of design? And most importantly, do they reinforce the heart and soul of what you’re all about?
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