Many professionals spend a great deal of money on advertising, marketing materials, and website production in order to effectively communicate their brand. But in the process they forget one of the most essential ingredients – the all-encompassing and important brand environment.
Your brand environment is one of the most observable and effective ways that your unique brand message is conveyed to clients and colleagues. A great marketing technique is to match your brand environment to your uniqueness, so that both resonate harmoniously with your target audience. Let’s say, for example, that your brand message is about sophistication and elegance. Ask yourself if your business environment implies those same qualities, and examine how your business environment and the tools you use represent those particular attributes.
Perhaps you want your brand to advertise that you are approachable and friendly – or maybe the message you want to exude is that you are a leading edge visionary. Whatever the concept is, make sure it consistently saturates the entire brand environment.
To evaluate your brand environment, take into account everything from the list below:
· The décor and physical layout and organization of your office.
· The ambience of locations where you meet with clients for business discussions.
· Places you hold conferences, workshops, or seminars.
· Tech tools like your desktop computer, laptop or mobile phone.
· The vehicle you drive to meet clients.
· Business tools like your briefcase, messenger bag, portfolio, or writing instruments.
All of these things create impressions of your brand that are perceived by your competition, your colleagues and your clients. Make sure you always project a strong brand through your environment and business tools, to give you a constant brand message presence. Keep in mind that your brand environment must remain congruent with your messaging. Ask your colleagues or a professional brand strategist for their point of view and assessment, and have them really critique your brand environment to see if it ties back into your brand bio and marketing message.
Do you want to use this blog
article?
You may, as long as you
include this complete bio with it:
Sarah Hathorn
is a professional image consultant, certified personal brand strategist,
speaker, and author.
Her company,
Illustra Image Consulting, works with high-achieving future leaders and large
businesses by enhancing their corporate and personal brand image to take their
businesses and careers to the next level.
Blog, Ezine
& Website:
www.illustraimageconsulting.com
Copyright 2009,
Sarah Hathorn, AICI CIP, CPBS

