At a recent meeting of a nonprofit board I serve on, we were talking about “who” our organization is: our product, our service and whether those are unique enough to fill a need in our community. In short, our brand.
That made me think. What is my brand? And am I an ambassador for that brand? Or a saboteur?
David Ogilvy’s definition of a brand is the intangible sum of a product’s attributes: its name, packaging, and price, its history, its reputation and the way it’s advertised.
Strong brands—Target, Disney, Nike–instantly convey what they stand for, and they never waver.
I think I stand for connection, conversation, collaboration, community–relationships–with myself, my families (blood relatives and not), my friends, my coworkers, my clients.
And I ask myself: Do I walk the talk? Am I living my brand? Is my brand authentic, real? Is my brand a contributor to what is wanted and needed? Is it committed, no matter what? Is it responsible at its source? Is it intentional? Are my messages and actions consistent, reliable?
Do you live your brand? Consider promises made, promises broken. Are you inconsistent, inauthentic, lacking commitment? Are you losing faith in yourself, your abilities? Can your friends and family count on you? Or are they looking for a change? Looking for someone to inspire, to lead, to be loyal to his or her brand? Seems to me all this talk about change is really about returning to who we are.
Are you the ambassador or saboteur of your brand?
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