Branding For Dummies®

Chapter 6. Putting Your Brand into Words

In This Chapter

• Knowing your business mission and vision

• Defining your brand

Building a brand and building a home have two things in common: Both need a site to occupy — a house lot in the case of a home and a market position in the case of a brand — and both require a plan that you can follow in order to achieve the desired outcome.

The process of finding a place to build your brand both in your marketplace and in your customers' minds is called positioning; it's the first important step in branding and the topic of Chapter 5. Planning the brand you intend to create is what this chapter is all about.

In this chapter, we help you lay the foundation for a brand that accurately reflects the essence of what you stand for and how you operate. We begin with a look at your mission and vision statements (and help you write statements if you don't already have them). Next, we help you define the promise you make to all who deal with you and your organization. After that, we guide the crafting of your brand identity statement and your core brand message. Finally, we help you write the brand character statement that influences all expressions of your brand — your name, logo, tagline, advertising, Web site, the products and services you offer, the staff you assemble, the customer experience you deliver, and the reputation you develop as a result.

Dusting Off Your Business Vision, Mission, and Values

Your brand is a reflection of what you stand for, so it has ...