Why Words Matter in Brand Positioning
I love words. As a writer, that makes sense. I’ve learned in my brand strategy work that words really matter too. In fact, picking the right words for your brand is important when communicating not only to your consumers, but to you partners as well. When developing a brand strategy, it’s necessary think long and hard about the components of your positioning in order to express your brand in the best way that you can.
Here’s an example. Imagine for a moment that you are an attendee of a strategy session that I am moderating, and the room is full of people. If I ask you to PUBLIC SPEAK for 5 minutes on a topic of your choosing, your heart will probably skip a few beats and your breath will suddenly get shallow. According to the 1977 “Book of Lists," speaking before a group was the number one response to the question “What are you most afraid of?” – more than death or loneliness. Most of us would certainly be struck down with a heavy dose of fear.
Now, what if I ask you to TELL A STORY in five minutes on a topic of your choosing? That’s an entirely different scenario. It's likely not to provoke as much fear and anxiety than if I had asked you to public speak. It may even be fun to share a story dear to your heart.
What if I ask you to GIVE A TESTIMONY for five minutes on a topic of your choosing? Perhaps you think that this means that you should share something that is meaningful in your life. This might elicit a different response to telling a story or public speaking. You may assign a higher meaning to this task compared to the others.
So there are three ways to express the same thing – getting up in front of an audience and speaking. But all three phrases have very different meanings. So choose your words carefully when asking someone to speak in front of an audience. And the same goes with developing your brand positioning. You should choose meaningful words that accurately reflect how you want your brand to behave in the marketplace. Every component of your brand statement should be well articulated, using thoughtful words that express your brand’s point of view on the world.
If you need a little refresher on brand positioning, here is a link to a post I wrote about it. Every word in your brand positioning is crucial. And because many people work on your brand – from brand marketers, agency partners, R&D, salespeople, distributors, retailers, and so on – articulating your brand artfully so everyone understands it is also essential. Strong brands have a distinct point of view and a unique voice. So think hard about how you want your brand to show up in the world.
After writing the first pass of your brand positioning statement, consider these questions:
1. Have you thought through all the words on the page?
When crafting your positioning, brainstorm lots of words that describe your brand. Vet them out. Challenge the words. Circle the ones you like. Cross out the ones you don’t like. Brainstorm again. Show it to others. Use pictures if you can’t think of words. Use placeholders. Simmer. Iterate. Flip words upside down. It may take many drafts to get you to a place that you like it.
2. Does every word say what you want it to say?
As in my example above, words and phrases can set an entirely different meaning for your brand. If you describe a core value for your brand as “Believing in Ingenuity.” It doesn’t just mean that your brand is creative or inventive – it implies a constant focus on innovation and creativity. The nuance of this phrase is meaningful. If you’ve described your brand’s tone and manner as “with Swagger”, it’s completely different than “Confident.” A brand that is “Quirky” is different than “Carefree.” Reflect on the truthfulness of each of the words you picked and make sure it says what you mean.
3. If you bring your words to life, does a clear picture emerge?
Once a brand positioning is complete, it’s a good idea to create a mood board of your brand. Look at the words in your positioning and illustrate it by picking photos that embody your brand. In doing this exercise, you may come up with words that fit better. But if you have a hard time doing this exercise, you may need to revisit your positioning and make your words more distinct. You should be able to look at the mood board and say to yourself, “I totally get what this brand is about.” And if a mood board is a reflection of your brand positioning, then you've done a good job on picking the right words.
Giving attention and detail to the words in your brand positioning, and your overall brand strategy, matters. Focus on ho-hum statements and make them sing. Aim for a crafting a brand positioning that has a distinct your point of view on the world. The more distinct your brand positioning is, the more it will stand out from your competitors. Ultimately, a well-crafted brand positioning will lead to better communications, and hopefully stronger bonds with your consumer. Happy crafting!