If you have taken the decision to start a new business, launch a new brand, or even decided it is time for a brand refresh. The first question you need to ask yourself is this: “What foundation will this brand be built upon?”
Good branding, coupled with the running of a business is complicated, time consuming and filled with many challenges. Simply put, you really only have one shot at launching this brand/refreshed brand. This is not something you want to get wrong.. The 36Craft approach, aims to simplify this process for you. We start with the very foundation upon which this brand be built – The brand purpose. In order for us to develop a successful foundation, your brand purpose needs to be what we refer to as your brands “True North” - Its guiding principle. The idea of a True North Guiding Principle comes from the Bill George book, Discover Your True North, which aims at encouraging principled global leadership, and looks at 101 global leaders to share its lessons with the world.
A brands “True North”, is the very heart of your organisation, your purpose for being, the answer to the question why you exist (beyond simply making a profit). In our experience, customers and lovers of any business or brand, have and continue to be more and more interested in why brands do what they do, the way they do things, their treatment of staff and the environment, rather than what it is that they actually do or sell.
Businesses and brands, with a “True North” that people can relate to are the ones that are ones that are able to build and maintain strong emotional connections with the target market. These are brand who can show people that they have gone beyond simply making a profit on goods and services they sell or deliver, but rather that they have a purpose, and exist to change the community in some way… They just happen do this through selling goods and services.
A brands “True North” is what guides every other aspect of your business. It’s central to your brand identity, positioning, decision making processes as well as defining the businesses and brand’s values, mission, vision and strategic intent.
When defining your brands “True North”, we suggest the following key considerations, for success:
· Select your purpose that will be achievable,
· Select a purpose that you can weave into every aspect of your business and brand,
· Make this your guiding principle and use it in everything you do,
· Ensure it resonates with your target market,
· Make it relevant to your industry,
· Above all else, ensure it evokes a strong emotional connection.
Crafted by Chris Midgley