Back when I was first starting Jennie Sjursen Photography (it no longer exists but that’s a story for another day) every where I turned people talked about “getting a brand”.  I thought to myself “I need to get me one of those!”  Yep, you read right, I thought I needed to get one.  At the time, to me and many other people I’ve since come across, a brand is synonymous with getting a logo – literally getting branded like cattle.  You get yourself a well designed logo, put it everywhere you can possibly imagine and you have your self a brand!  I couldn’t have been more wrong.

A brand is the well crafted story of your business.  Let me explain.  When reading a really great book the writer takes you on a journey – giving you the details and pieces along the way to move the story forward.  All the details of the story are devised to support the main theme and give a more complete telling.  In a business the details of the story are the touch points.  Literally the things that touch a ‘reader’ – be it physically or emotionally – how you answer the phone, the colors you use, websites, office decor, packaging and yes logos. In the process of telling your story you give clues to your ‘reader’ on how to interact with you, what they can expect from you and what is expected of them.  However, if the book your reading has no central theme or there is a complete disconnect in the details (those times when your reading something and you have absolutely no idea why it pertains to the story) you never invest in it.  More often than not you’ll find the whole thing to confusing or hard to read, put the book down and never come back.

What is the story you or your business is trying to tell?  Does it engage your ‘reader’, bringing them in closer and giving them a better understanding of who you are and what’s expected of them?  Does it invite them to take the journey with you or does it confuse them and leave them shaking their head in bemusement?