A term you may not have heard of is Brand Essence. What is Brand Essence? Brand Essence is essentially the core essence of what your brand is about. The heart and soul. Brand Essence is often summed up in about 2 to 3 words. Not necessarily a sentence, but three simple words that defines what it is that your brand is about. With your brand essence, you want to define the core values that drive your business. It defines the relationships you, your business and employees have with your customers and suppliers.
A Brand Essence is something that should be invested in for a long time, not a marketing slogan or a USP. It is a part of the vital DNA.
Here are some examples of Brand Essence:
Nike: Authentic Athletic Performance
Hallmark: Caring Shared
Disney: Fun Family Entertainment
Disneyworld: Magical Fun
Starbucks: Rewarding Everyday Moments
The Nature Conservancy: Saving Great Places
Mazda: Zoom-Zoom (see more about this below)
Finding your Brand Essence requires deep research into what your company is about and what your customers want from you.
To further illustrate the brand essence, here is a video from Mazda which illustrates their brand essence.
In contrast here is a video from Volkswagen talking about it's brand essence, "Can it be done?"
And here is a video from Pacific Natural Foods
What these videos show are the essential values that make the company what it is. It is what's communicated in every point of contact with it's customers and shareholders. This gives the company a focus and a drive that increases the value of the organization.
What is your Brand Essence? In effectively answering that question, you will find out what you are about and what makes your company unique from your competitors.
Ciao,
Robert Scozzari
