A Powerful Branding Lesson From Harley Davidson
Guy Kawasaki posted this on HolyKaw.AllTop.com.
It’s a Reuters photo from Carlos Barri who traveled to Zheijiang Province to photograph the Harley Davidson rally.
According to Kawasaki this is the fifth one of its kind in China.
Over 1,000 enthusiasts participated.
I wanted to post it here, because the image is such a vivid example of the power of a brand.
Your Brand Is Not
A brand isn’t your logo.
A brand isn’t your tagline.
A brand isn’t the colors you choose for your website.
Those things might add to your brand, but they are not your brand.
Your Brand Is
Your brand is who you are or what your company stands for.
It your personality or the “personality” of your business.
It’s the unique way you communicate or present yourself or your business.
As I’ve said before, most businesses suffer from what I call “genericism.”
They don’t stand out.
They describe what they do and what they are by the category they’re in.
“We’re an Italian restaurant,” or “I’m a plumber.”
See why I call it generic?
What type of Italian restaurant? What kind of plumber?
If that’s all you can say about your business, then you’re just a “me too” Italian restaurant or a “me too” plumber.
Who wants to go to “just another Italian restaurant” or use “just another plumber”?
I don’t!
Do you?
7 Questions That Help You Develop Your Brand
It basically comes down to answering these seven questions:
- Who are you?
- “Who” is your business?
- What is your unique story?
- What is your unique voice or opinion?
- What is your unique look or appearance?
- What exactly makes you different?
- What can I expect from my experience with you and/or from using your product or service?
Harley Davidson knows how to answer these questions.
And they have done so in such a consistent way over the years that people half-way around the world, who speak a completely different language, still understand their brand.
They not only understand it.
They want to identify with it!
Now that is a powerful brand.
Your goal should be to build a brand that can touch people in the same way.
Begin by answering the seven questions above and then begin communicating and living out your answers!
Related article
- How to Build Your Brand Online (INFOGRAPHIC) (baybusinesshelp.com)
