Most Common Branding Exercise May Be Your Biggest Waste of Time

When a new client shows up, nine times out of ten, they ask, “Do you want me to make a list of qualities to get the conversation started about branding and positioning?” Our answer is “no.” That list is usually a waste of time. Almost everybody uses the same words, from individuals to groups, from small non-profits to publicly traded corporations.

The branding and positioning conversation requires the discovery of uniqueness, which making a list almost never yields. When your list looks like everybody else’s list, who you are and what you do won’t have a prayer of becoming visible. What does work is this:

  • Knowing why you’re doing what you’re doing
  • Becoming clear on how you want to impact people
  • Being sure of who you’re talking to, what you want them to do and where you want them to do it