Embodying Your Brand in Real Life

Designing Tomorrow: Creative Strategies for Social Impact

Your brand is not your logo. It’s not your fonts, or your colors, or your voice. It’s not your content. It’s not your mission.

Your brand is:

↳ Whether you come through on the promises you make to your community

↳ The actions you take

↳ How your team shows up each and every day

But what happens when you paint a picture of those values and promises, but don’t come through on them for your community?

And how can you ensure that your brand values and promises are EMBODIED by everyone on your team in real life?

In today’s episode of Designing Tomorrow, Jonathan shares exactly how he and his team have done this at the Seymour Marine Discovery Center and his past roles in his social impact journey.

Eric and Jonathan emphasize the need for consistent brand experiences across all interactions, especially during rebranding efforts. The conversation provides practical strategies for ensuring that both internal and external communications reflect an organization’s core values and promises.

Episode Highlights

• [00:00] - Eric and Jonathan discuss the disconnect between brand promises and actual delivery, reflecting on past experiences at a B2B software company.
• [01:01] - They delve into how nonprofits can enhance donor retention by embodying their brand effectively in real life.
• [02:00] - Eric and Jonathan talk about the risks of rebranding and the importance of internal alignment.
• [07:12] - They offer tips on storytelling for nonprofits, emphasizing the need to balance vision with authenticity.
• [10:04] - The discussion turns to making supporters the heroes of the story rather than the organization itself.
• [13:02] - Jonathan shares a real-world example of how a small change at the front desk of an educational center reinforced a community-focused brand.
• [14:55] - The impact of inconsistent brand experiences and the importance of aligning internal actions with external messaging.
• [17:27]- Methods for assessing how well employees embody the brand, including coaching and feedback mechanisms.
• [21:08] - The concept of "pulses" for obtaining customer feedback and compares it to traditional surveys.
• [25:18] - Embodying the brand is crucial for authenticity and long-term success.

Quotes

• "You want your supporters to be the hero of the story, not your organization. The focus should be on how they can make a meaningful impact." — Eric Ressler [09:44]
• "If your brand's promise isn't met in real-world interactions, there's an instant lack of trust and credibility." - Eric Ressler [15:38]
• "Every single human being who's a part of your organization is in some way embodying and creating your brand." - Jonathan Hicken [16:12]

Resources:

• They Said - pulses / mini surveys
• Storybrand by Donald Miller
• Create Better Social Impact Messaging by Finding Your Brand Voice
• Unexpected Ways a Rebrand Can Supercharge Your Team Culture

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Capitole

1. Strategic Brand Alignment and Trust Building (00:00:00)

2. Building Brand Trust Through Organizational Alignment (00:11:46)

3. Embodying Your Brand for Success (00:19:34)