Why Branding is Like Baking
3 Reasons it’s All About the Chemistry.
To the outside world a brand looks like one thing. Like the beautifully decorated cake above.
From the outside it looks and smells delicious, but when you cut into the cake and see beyond the sprinkles and icing, it’s actually made up of many layers. Layers that are made up of perfectly measured ingredients.
It’s the eggs, flour, butter, sugar and so on — that works together in harmony to give the cake substance and make it not just look and smell great, but taste amazing as well.
A cake that’s made up of sprinkles and icing lacks substance, just like a brand that’s all logo and website.
Baking is ALL about the chemistry.
And the same can be said about your brand.
You need the right ingredients, in the right proportions, at the right time in order to create brand chemistry.
But why is brand chemistry important?
I could ask you to name any brand right now and a brand would come to mind.
Maybe it’s a famous sports brand like Nike, or a technology brand like Apple. There are many that stand out so why is it standing out for you?
Because they’ve created a relationship with you. They aren’t selling a thing, they are selling an experience.
That’s brand chemistry.
And it’s for every business no matter the size. Yes even you solopreneurs!
In this blog I’m going to share the 3 key ingredients you need to create brand chemistry with the dream clients you are looking to attract to your business.
1. What does the external world think of your brand?
Ask yourself: Am I memorable and remarkable? Do I show up consistently? Do I stand out in the crowd?
You need to break from convention so you can stand out in a sea of sameness. Just because something has always been done a certain way doesn’t mean it’s the best or only way.
You need to create your own recipe.
You are in control of what the world thinks of your brand, so you need to be deliberate.
Choosing to look like all the rest of the businesses in your industry means you won’t be Memorable or Remarkable and more importantly you won’t be yourself.
So, who are you? Who is your brand? What makes you Memorable and Remarkable? And is it aligned with you and WHY do you do what you do?
Are you a vanilla cupcake, a spicy chocolate cupcake or perhaps a unicorn cupcake? There is NO wrong answer. That’s the beauty of being an entrepreneur …. YOU get to make your own recipe.
So are you still searching for your recipe?
Do you have all the ingredients and your just trying to figure out how to put them together?
Or have you already perfected the recipe and your wondering what’s next?
2. What problem does your brand solve?
Why did you start THIS business?
There were likely thousands of things you could have done, but you chose this, so why?
Perhaps you saw a need, a problem that wasn’t being solved or solved fully by others. Or maybe that you could do something better or that it was a life long passion.
So what makes you different?
This is quite often the hardest question for people to answer. But you don’t need to, because the magic is in what others say about you.
The key is learning what your clients are saying about you.
This will provide you with insights you simply can’t have because you are too close to your own products and services.
Your difference isn’t how you see it, it’s how your customers experience it, so listen, observe, ask.
If you understand the experience others are having, it helps you uncover the benefits that really matter.
So how do you make your clients feel? Do they connect with you? Do they feel listened to and supported? Do they clearly know why YOU are the right choice? Do you share the same values?
3. Who is your brand?
We make assumptions about people and businesses based on visual cues.
If there is a misalignment between who you are and what your brand is telling people — then you are going to attract the wrong clients.
Think about your brand right now.Does it reflect who you are? Does it look like you? Would someone expect to meet you if they’ve already met your brand?
Your brand needs to reflect you, your story, what you stand for and what makes you different, so you can be the only choice for the right clients.
When we can make our customers feel what we feel — our excitement, our joy, our passion — they believe us, they see and feel the authenticity of our brand, and this is one of the most important pieces that sets you apart from the pack.
A brand is all about chemistry.
Think about your brand as uniquely and authentically human.
Stand out, build trust and deep connections with your customers so you are their only choice.
When you have the right ingredients brand chemistry is there and when you have brand chemistry, you will have customer loyalty.
Want To Do A Deeper Dive Into How to Create Brand Chemistry? Learn about how Brand Camp can help.