A Moment of Reflection: Branding - Stories

Brands and logos developed by XIMNET Malaysia.

"A brand for a company is like a reputation for a person. You earn reputation by trying to do hard things well."

― Jeff Bezos

You are your brand. This is what we always share with our clients. A brand is no longer a logo or a namecard. Your brand is also an experience. The feeling one receives when they engage you.

The effort to reinvent your brand is even harder but it is a necessary step to stay in the game. If you are in the midst of transforming your brand, this is for you. Some of these booming trends may affect your brand's success hence we recommend you to take a close look into them.

Reinstate Your Purpose

People don't look at your hardware anymore. They want to know why you are offering a specific product or service. They want to support a cause which they can connect with. Here's a quick example. People do not buy iPhone solely for its technical features. They buy to support a purpose - to believe in reducing complexity through good design.

Be Consistent in Story-telling

Story-telling plays a significant role in our lives. We learn and build our core values through stories we heard since young. Every often people do not remember a brand statement but they can recall your brand story. Does anyone remember Ford's tagline? Perrhaps not but people do remember Sir Henry Ford's story. That's the magic of a good story.

Focus on Internal Audiences

Everyone who is part of your organisation represents your brand. However, this is often neglected. Your frontdesk personnel is your brand. Your security guard is your brand. Your brand touchpoints determines its impression, often a lasting one. Brands are built from the inside out and for those who are willing to invest internally will reap the rewards of their investment.

Our experience in brand transformation tells us that every brand has its own unique approach in relating to their target audience and it is a long (and often challenging) to build lasting relationships. The good news is, if you are able to define your purpose, you are well on your way in the journey of building a successful brand.

This article is contributed by Josephine Toh, Agency Manager of XIMNET Malaysia.