Brand Pillars
Brand pillars are the set of core values that your brand stands for and help support its promise and positioning in the market. These pillars serve as a foundation for all brand activities, helping to guide decision-making, shape perceptions, and differentiate the brand from competitors.
Purpose:
Why do you do what you do? Nowadays, your brand needs something more profound than just the product or service it offers. Consumers want to resonate with your brand and its mission; nearly 3 out of 4 shoppers opt for companies with a strong sense of mission. Patagonia, for instance, is more than just selling outdoor clothing. Their core values mention that they “Prioritize purpose over profit.”
Effective brand communication emerges from this sense of purpose and should be displayed on all touch points of your brand, from digital to physical. Well-respected brands such as American Express, IBM, and Toyota extend beyond product specifications and perks. They resonate with customers’ aspirations to align with values more significant than mere consumption. Brands rooted in purpose go beyond mere commerce, connecting with consumers on shared visions for a brighter and more substantial future.
Positioning:
How you are perceived relative to the marketplace comes down to positioning. Are you Hermès or Gap? Hyundai or Mercedes? Or it could be a closer example within the Venn diagram, but both have distinct values, such as Jack Daniels vs Jameson whiskey. Some brands focus on having a large swathe of selection (Lacoste), while others want to specialize in a distinct field within said vertical (Oliver People’s).
Identifying early on how you want to be regarded relative to your competition is essential to finding your footing. Ideally, you want to create the perception that your products or services are unparalleled relative to anyone else’s. A Harley Davidson fan would likely not consider any other motorcycle brand, for instance.
Personality:
Think of this as the personification of your brand. I like to call it a H2H (human-to-human connection) that breaks down the traditional walls of the corporate façade. Ultimately, a corporation is made up of humans, so it should showcase this through its brand messaging, design, colors, and overall voice. Creating long-term brand advocates is far easier when your company is not another stodgy, faceless corporation.
The previous CEO at T-Mobile, John Legere, did a great job of making a rather dull industry (telecommunications) fun and engaging for the customer through their hands-on approach via social media.
Perception:
Perception is the collective impression consumers hold about a product or service based on their emotions, encounters, and thoughts. It embodies what consumers perceive a brand to be instead of its declarations of its identity. Even though brand image stems from mental associations, it’s crucial for forging emotional bonds with customers.
Consumers weigh their sentiments towards brands when deciding among alternatives. This decision-making process might involve reading product reviews, engaging with customer service, discussing options within their social circles, or experimenting with a product through a free trial. Each interaction molds the brand’s image and can be pivotal to a company’s prosperity. Businesses that achieve substantial brand equity can count on a loyal customer base that consistently chooses their offerings over the competition.
Promotion:
Finally, brand promotion encompasses the various strategies employed to engage, attract, and inspire customers to form a relationship with your brand. It’s crucial to distinguish brand promotion from marketing promotion.
While marketing promotion focuses on executing temporary, highly focused initiatives, brand promotion is dedicated to fostering brand loyalty and developing brand equity, which accrues value progressively over the long term. For example, a tool to lean on for brand promotion is your tagline.
To sum up, brand pillars serve as the core elements that define a brand’s essence. They steer the brand’s representation to the public, its engagement with consumers, and its decision-making processes. The establishment of solid and distinct brand pillars is a significant factor in a brand’s sustained success and endurance in the marketplace.
Author | Tyler Vaughn
