In today’s world, where you can buy online 24/7, compare products and prices at the click of a button and are inundated with marketing messages wherever you look, it’s no longer enough to have a great product or service.  

To make your business memorable, stand out versus your competitors and engage emotionally with your target audience, you need a powerful brand.

Why a Brand Matters for Your Business

A brand gives a business its unique essence. It’s what makes it instantly recognizable, helps build relationships and drives loyalty and trust. Beyond being a product or service, a brand becomes a living entity that people can connect with emotionally.

I love this example I heard from marketing thought leader Seth Godin: imagine if Nike were to open a hotel. You likely have a clear picture of what that hotel would look like, what kind of services it would offer, and how the overall experience would be different from any other hotel.  

To prove the point, I had some fun with AI… What do you think, Nike?! 😉 

AI generated: Nike hotel lobby

Now imagine if Marriott or Hilton were to make shoes, would you have any idea what they’d look like or how they would be different from one other?

 AI generated: Marriott and Hilton trainers

Yep, good thing they have a logo on there! (sorry Marriott and Hilton, I needed you to demonstrate my point).

This is the essence of a strong brand. Nike’s identity is so distinctive that it can come to life seamlessly across any product or service. Whereas without the brand logo, Marriott and Hilton don’t have much of an identity to differentiate them at all.

Brand Building vs. Branding: A Key Difference

As the above example illustrates, building a brand goes well beyond aesthetics or logos. Your “branding” is just the visual aspect of your brand (logo, colors, fonts) whilst brand building is about creating an entire identity that people connect with on a personal level.

The key to building a successful brand is working from the inside out – with a strong and meaningful purpose at the core. This starts with establishing:

1. Your Purpose: Why does your brand exist? A brand’s purpose answers what it’s ultimately here to change or improve.
2. Your Vision: What future are you working towards? Your vision should inspire both your team and your clients.
3. Your Mission: How will you achieve this vision? Your mission translates your purpose and vision into action.
4. Your Values and Beliefs: What is important to you? Your values and beliefs are the guiding principles to how you act and behave.
5. Your Value Proposition: How will you uniquely deliver your purpose? This is what sets you apart and shows your clients why they should choose you over any other brand.

Thinking Further for Positive Impact: The 4B Brand Model 

For brands committed to creating positive impact and evolving society for the better, we need to push these concepts even further. This is where the 4B Brand Model comes into play. Brands that drive positive impact are BIG, BOLD, BRAVE and BELOVED:

• A brand with impact starts not just with “any” purpose but with a BIG purpose. It aims to solve one of the world’s biggest challenges and it leads the way for others to follow. It’s not just about your brand anymore, it’s about changing the entire industry for the better.
• To drive positive change, brands need to have a BOLD positioning that sets them apart and challenges the status quo. This requires innovating beyond existing paradigms, leading new conversations that help evolve society and redefine the norms of their industries.
• A BRAVE brand stands up for what it believes in. This bravery is reflected not just in words but in actions which are key to earning respect, loyalty and trust.
• Finally, a brand becomes BELOVED when it makes its clients the heroes of the story. It’s not about self-promotion but about empowering your clients to make the difference they want to make in the world.

There are (thankfully!) more and more brands that are successfully creating strong identities by leveraging a BIG purpose, BOLD positioning, BRAVE stand and BELOVED story. Here are just a few examples of brands making a positive impact:

Thesus: In a bid to find a way to accelerate collective action and lead the entire industry forward, footwear brand Thesus decided to open-source a decade’s worth of work by giving away their valued IP to the world. The brand shared a full listing of producers, materials suppliers, design thinking, and ecosystem mapping for their iconic Weekend Boot^TM, voted one of the best versatile hiking boots and recognized as one of the most sustainable pieces of outdoor footwear on the market.

 Thesus Weekend Boot^TM 

Ben & Jerry’s: With a deep commitment to social justice, environmental responsibility and fair-trade sourcing, Ben & Jerry’s doesn’t shy away from taking a stand on issues they believe in, from climate change to racial equity and political parties, showing how brands can be both brave and beloved.

Ben & Jerry’s: Kamala’s Coconut Jubilee

TOMS: Famous for its “One-for-One” model, TOMS turned its brand into a movement for positive change. For each pair of shoes sold, TOMS provided a pair to someone in need, not only making its clients the heroes of the story but getting them to tell the story on behalf of the brand!

TOMS: One-For-One Model

The Recap: Creating a Powerful Brand that Matters

A well-crafted brand has the power to shift consumption habits, inspire action, and even change beliefs. But building a brand is about a lot more than its "branding": it is about creating a distinct identity, a voice that can connect, inspire, and even challenge the status quo.

But this identity goes much deeper than the visual aspects of your brand. The key is to build your brand with a strong and meaningful purpose at the core and implementing the 4Bs for Positive Impact:

• A BIG purpose that aims to lead the entire industry forward;
• A BOLD positioning that challenges the status quo by innovating beyond existing paradigms and leading new conversations that evolve society;
• A BRAVE stand that lives up to the brand’s purpose and values;
• A BELOVED story that makes the clients the heroes of the story by showing them how they can make a difference in the world.

And if you're ready to take the first step towards building your brand for positive impact, join the waitlist for The Impact Circle, a membership program opening in January which provides a safe space to explore how to build your brand for positive impact and get easy access to marketing expertise.