Can Branding Come Naturally?

I think marketers spend so much time carefully considering and crafting brands that sometimes we forget that the very best branding is born out of the instant the organization was created by its founders. The best brands are created in the moment that the founder decides to start the business. To do something different or better than anything that currently exists in their marketplace.

In that moment is pure passion that (should) be the basis of the brand. All the branding that comes after that should reflect that unique moment.

The funny thing is, that moment is also the one thing that most entrepreneurs are most likely NEVER to discuss. And for businesses that have been around for many years that moment of lightning might be irrevocably lost. But it’s worth recreating. There is always enough institutional knowledge (no matter how long ago the founding occurred) to build a brand from this simple beginning.

Branding Naturally

I think that the very best way to capture the moment of pure passion that sparks the business for the future is with a Manifesto or Declaration of Passion. At it’s very core this document should become not only the basis for your brand but the foundation for your strategy, your culture, and all your marketing. There is nothing more natural than the passion that comes out of your Manifesto.

Letting Your Branding Develop

The secret to letting a brand manifest naturally is to pay attention to it. To make it a consistent element in all of your outward facing marketing materials. To nurture it, to give it air, and to make sure that everyone on your team understands it and plays by its rules.

As the branding begins to fully manifest, that’s the moment to codify it and to preserve it for the future. This is your best option to capture the branding naturally and at the same time, preserving it for the future.