Summer Strategy Series #2: Core Identity
The In Pursuit of Branding Newsletter #41
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Photo by Angela Knox, The Divine Group
Quick reminder: Welcome to the Summer Strategy Sessions 2.0 – a six-week series walking through my whole brand strategy process. Here's #1 in case you missed it.
If you did the exercise from IPB #40, you should have a clearer picture of what you're actually selling. You've identified your 1-3 core offerings and put the rest on pause for now.
And this means it’s time to dig into the foundation that everything else gets built on.
Around here, what we're building is a brand that focuses on connection and people over profit. It means:
That you have to slow down enough to make intentional decisions that align with your vision and mission and values.
That you have to actually give a shit about your audience so you can show up for them to the best of your ability.
That you have to take the time to get to know them and understand what they specifically want.
That you have to forgo the idea of being 'for everyone' in favor of being 'for this one'.
That you might have say no to more money because it comes at the expense of your purpose or beliefs.
If that resonated with you (and I'm going to go out on a limb and assume that it does, because after all, you're reading this) then I'd imagine the next natural question is, "But how do I actually build that connection and people-focused brand?"
From my experience and perspective, it starts by understanding who you are as a brand; what is your brand all about? What does it mean? What does it stand for? What is it great at? What is it trying to do?
What I know to be true: If you, the business owner, have confusion around why your brand exists or who its a great fit for, it's going to be real hard for someone who isn't in the weeds of your brand to even entertain the idea of building a relationship with it.
And this is why...
Strategy matters so damn much.
Brand strategy is what identifies things like:
Purpose, mission, vision and values
Ideal client persona(s)
Positioning and differentiators
Message pillars and narrative shifts
Tone of voice and engagement style
Now for the how.
Brand Strategy Element #1: Core Identity.
Your brand's core identity is comprised of (at a minimum) five elements – purpose, vision, mission, values and beliefs – that make up the heart and soul of the brand.
These elements work together to facilitate deep connection between you and your audience.
They serve as the foundation for your brand, so that everything created thereafter – from your positioning to message to personality – is consistent and meaningful.
While your brand's core identity is just one part of creating a strong, meaningful, connection-focused brand, its arguably the most important part because it sets the foundation for every other aspect of your brand.
Why?
Because when you understand the heart and soul behind your brand, it's a heck of a lot easier to determine who you're a great fit for, what to communicate about your work and what the visuals can look like to best support that communication.
This section can also be the most challenging to nail down. Because it plays such an important part of your brand and business, you can (unintentionally) put too much pressure on making sure it's perfect. Which then leads to do nothing, for fear of doing the wrong thing.
So let's just address that gremlin right here, right now.
Your goal is to get something down on the proverbial paper. Something that you can work from. Something that you can reference and use to make next right decisions.
And, as you work through the other four elements of your brand's strategy, feel free to revisit your core identity elements to make sure they still resonate.
Here's the truth I've learned from running my own businesses and working with dozens of clients: Your core identity will evolve. It should evolve.
The purpose that drives you at year one might look different at year three. The values that felt most important when you started might shift as you gain experience and clarity about what really matters to you and your work.
I've watched my own brand's core identity refine over time. What started as a somewhat vague desire to "help businesses with their branding" has become much more specific about connection-focused brands and human-centered strategy. My values have sharpened. My mission has gotten clearer.
And that's not a failure of my original strategy – it's proof that I was doing the work, learning, and allowing my brand to grow alongside my understanding of what I'm really here to do.
So yes, you want it to be right. But also, you're human and sometimes things change. You'll learn more about your industry, your clients, and yourself. You'll discover what energizes you and what drains you. You'll realize which impact you actually want to make versus what you thought you wanted to make.
Cut yourself some slack and just make the decision on something. Because when it comes to all things brand, having something incomplete that's solidified on 'paper' is always better than having everything solidified only in your head.
Okay, let's jump in.
What is purpose, mission and vision?
Your brand's purpose statement is why you do what you do; why you show up every day and put in the work. It's not an arbitrary idea but rather a reason for doing that connects your brand internally as well as to something bigger – like a cause or movement.
• Why did you start your business?
• What is your endgame; what result are you working towards because of the work you're doing?
• What do you think is the biggest impact you can have on your audience's life?
• If your brand had an obituary, what would you want to hear about its accomplishments, legacy and outstanding character traits?
Your vision statement is where you want to go as a business and brand. It's meant to be big and audacious so it will inspire and instill belief.
• In 5-10 years, what impact do you want your brand to have on your customers?
• In 5-10 years, what impact do you want your brand to have on your industry?
• In 5-10 years, what impact do you want your brand to have on your brand's community?
Your mission statement is what you're doing today and every day to bring your vision to life. It's the overarching theme that guides your daily commitments and actions, so that your vision can be achieved. Ideally, the mission incorporates or is aligned with your purpose/why.
• What are you committed to today in order to achieve your vision for the future?
• What are you going to do every day to get to where you want to go?
What are brand values?
Your brand values are the north star of your company; your guiding principles; the heart and soul behind your why. They have a big impact on how you connect with your audience and build trust.
Defining the values your brand stands for is similar to defining your target market in that the line you drew in the sand when claiming who you want to work with will become even more pronounced when you start communicating what you value as a brand.
• What would you like your customers to say about your brand if it were a person?
• What would you like the general public to say about your brand if it were a person?
What are brand beliefs?
Your beliefs as a brand are your sacred truths that reflect how you see the world as well as the space you operate within.
• What motivates you to put in the work in your business; why do you continue to show up for it?
• What is most important about the way the business runs? (I.e., We make decisions based on value alignment, we have flexibility with family, we have face-time with certain stakeholders)
• Why do you believe the work you're doing matters?
How do you put the core identity into practice?
A few questions to ask yourself when making decisions or communicating your brand:
• Does this align with our why?
• Does this support our vision of where we want to go?
• Does this support where we want to go and align with why we're here in the first place?
The idea here is that you're keeping your core identity top-of-mind and revisiting them on a regular basis. Because spoiler alert – it's not meant to be put down and then only referenced when its convenient or during an annual team meeting.
The intention is to add substance to your brand AND play an active role in your decision making process.
📘 Something to read:
How Do You Hold Multiple Ideas at Once, Rethink with Rachel. The author explores this idea of moving from linear thinking (this idea moves from one to two to three, etc.) to a more organic way to hold multiple ideas at once, so they can work together to help you think differently. It’s an interesting concept that challenges the typical idea of ‘productivity’. READ IT
🎙️ Something to listen to:
Saying no to small asks, The Smart Gets Paid Podcast. This episode is a coaching call with the host and their client walking through how to reframe a small 'ask' from a potential client so you can do work in your Zone of Genius and get out of the scarcity mindset. LISTEN TO IT
With that, happy branding :) And we’ll see you back here on July 10!
— Kelly
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