Ourpose
A purpose is nothing more than your reason for existing. Why does your brand need to exist? Why was it created?
At this stage, it is very valuable to look back at the time of the creation of the company. What was in the mind of its founders? What did they want to transform the market when they started the business? Often this purpose will come as a phrase accompanying the logo and eventually become a brand tagline or tagline. The purpose of Airbnb, accommodation marketplace, is to believe that there is a world where people can belong anywhere. If you're having trouble understanding what your brand's purpose is, a good idea is Talk to your employees and consumers to understand why they connect with and believe in your company. After that's easier to come up with a point that will seem perfect for your brand and its story. Remember to listen before you create. The result will always be more authentic, as it was for Airbnb.
Brand promise
The brand promise acts as a manifesto. It is the summary of what you commit to do in practice so that your purpose becomes a reality. Often the brand promise is what we see being communicated by brands. If the purpose is an internal process of discovery and understanding of how you can impact the world, the promise, in turn, is what makes it palpable. Taking the case of Nike, they believe that anyone is an athlete. They are committed to transforming and creating a better and more sustainable world for people, planet and communities through the power of sport, and the most important part is: how will they do it? Through sport. That is the promise. If we take a page from the goldencircle by Simon Sinek, we will clearly understand that the purpose is the why, and the promise is the how. The promise in other terms can be called or is comparable to the value proposition.
Brand attributes
Once you've defined the purpose and promise, it's time to talk about brand attributes. These features are part of the journey, showcasing your brand's unique way of walking as it journeys to reach its ultimate goal. Extraordinary brands have unique purposes and promises. However, what often sets the greats apart is how they get where they want to go. Here, the means are as important as the results. Clearly, the attributes are characteristic of your brand, values that are non-negotiable for it and depend on everything from the way you communicate to the way your employees work.
Positioning
We already know that we need a purpose to understand why we exist and that a brand promise makes everything more tangible. We also know that brand attributes help to humanize it and align expectations but there is still talk about brand positioning. According to Philip Kotler, one of the fathers of marketing, positioning is the act of creating an understanding of the offer and the image that defines the market space that your brand will occupy and how it will be perceived by consumers. To understand your positioning, you must first think about your goals and the real value that your company and product offer. This is where you start thinking about your positioning. Positioning is understanding your market, what your consumers need and want. From there, look inside your company and understand how your product or service can be present and relevant in this scenario.
Brand voice and tone
Everything so far helps build a strong identity for the brand. However, an essential point of how brands communicate is still missing: a voice. Review the attributes of your brand and look at your buyer persona, your ideal, archetypal customer, and ask yourself, how can you convey these aspects of your business in a way that your buyer persona will listen to you? For example, if an attribute of your brand is to educate, its voice must be didactic, accessible. Now, if your brand is objective, your way of speaking cannot be excessive. When defining the voice, you must describe it but also define what you can do (DO) and what you cannot do (DON'T) when communicating your brand and its messages. Your tone, on the other hand, will always be in reformulation, since it is the way you adapt your voice to different audiences and channels.
