Branding Is So Much More Than A Product Thing

Over the past 2 weeks conducting business in New York and surrounding areas has proven to be very difficult.  Sandy blew through and really changed the way many of us live our lives in a matter of just two days.  In the worst cases, many lost their homes and even some their loved ones.  In some of the better cases, people were stranded with no gas for their cars and their candle lit homes — most campers live in more luxury.  Fortunately, things are starting to get back to normal and ‘business as usual’ for most. 

Just about now you are probably thinking, how is this going to transition into a blog about branding?  Well, as the title says, branding is so much more than a product thing.  Our televisions and newspapers were swarmed with news coverage about organizations like the Red Cross, FEMA, Salvation Army, etc.  These are organizations that have done a great job in branding themselves.

I stopped at a rest stop the other night and came across a slew of Boy Scouts.  I instantly had a feeling that they were out in some community lending a helping hand in the hurricane relief.  Upon my conversation with a few of them, my suspicions were confirmed.  What I did not realize is that they came all the way from New Hampshire to offer their assistance. Four pick-up trucks each with a loaded trailer and a caravan of minivans and SUV’s brought these young men down to Staten Island where they waded through about a foot of water to bring supplies in and then stayed and cooked until it was all gone.  I was quite impressed and it definitely brought a few tears to my eyes when I heard their story.

Why did the Boy Scouts drive so far and do what they did?  They did it because it’s not just how they market their brand, it’s because they practice and preach their brand.  They live every day by their oath and live by their slogan.  It really makes me proud to have gone through the program when I was a kid.

Taking a lesson from the scouts, we have to be our brands!  What are your core values?  What is the image you want to portray?  Incorporating these elements of your brand into your daily life will only create strength in your products and further strengthen the core of what your business is about.

Richard Kurisko
BBG&G Advertising