We’ve all had one time or another told a little sib or a white lie, you know the ones I mean the good lies. Generally speaking we all know that lying is morally wrong and honesty is of course the best policy. But sometimes a lie can just seem like an easy out. My mum has a bit of a reputation for these little white lies. She use to throw away occasional pieces of clothes from my dads wardrobe. Mainly because she no longer like them on him anymore. But when he asked about where has such and such shirt she usually responded in couple ways oh I don’t know where that’s gone or you haven’t had that for ages. I mean it’s pretty harmless white lies, and she did it with her heart in the right place, because in all honestly my dad doesn’t usually throw much away.
What does Lying Have to So With Branding?
But you might be thinking what does lying have anything to do with branding? And that’s a fair point, one I’ll address right now. Whatever size business or type some people in business tend to see branding as an opportunity to lie. Today I’ll be discussing why branding isn’t a green pass for your to lie. How to avoid this method and why we can be tempted to!
What Your People Hate Most!
Let’s face it there not one person listening that wants to be deceived, let down or mislead by a brand. In fact we hate it when that happens, when a brand doesn’t live up to their own promise, values or beliefs it fragments our customer to brand relationship. A study showed that 94% of customers said honest is important to them. So why do brand resort to lying?
The most obvious place we see brand getting caught out is through advertising. There is a big temptation of bagging more sales or client with over-selling the impossible dream, but we see it time and time again…this approach backfires!
The Temptation To Fabricate Your Whole Brand Promise, Values etc.
I’ve experience first hand the temptation of business owners wanting to lie at the start of building their brand. You of course want your business to resonate with your people I understand this 100%. This is of course one of my goals when building your brand. But when your running a one-woman business it’s important to draw on what you already value in business and personal life. Why might I need to know this? If you don’t really value what your business values than how will you really be able to uphold this up in the long-term?
It’s like if you trying to be a vegetarian because you think it might make people like you. But deep down you’re not really not that fussed if you are veggi or not. So yes you might last a couple of months of being a dedicated vegetarian but by month three you probably feel a craving for some meat. And when you thought no one was watching you snuck in a beef burger! Well you get it, this same concept applies to your brand. If you pretend to be something you don’t feel committed or empowered to really stick to you’re more likely run into some problem later.
Look Inwards…What do You Already Value?!
So instead of seeing you’re brand as an opportunity to lie and manipulate your people into buying from you. Start looking inwards from a place of honesty! Start with what you values and want do you want to accomplish for your people. It’s important for you to feel a deep connection and attachment with your brand purpose and values so you feel responsible to uphold this. The more passionate and drive your people will obverse and see how much you truly care.
Perfection Isn’t The End Game
A lot of business owners can feel the pressure to be perfect and the ned to everything right. So the temptations of stealing someone else’s brand purpose and values can seem pretty appealing. I’ve been there I get it, you see a pretty looking brand selling hand made jewellery and you fancy well I could just build my brand similar to there right? It sound like a quick and easy solution to all your brand problems…But is a big no no. Stealing someone else brand is effective you unbolting a sign from a shop and placing it on your shop exterior. It quick for sure…but is it effective, heck no! The key too branding is differentiating yourself from the rest, therefore stealing is just as bad a lying in my books.
The Over Sell
Ages ago I was flicking through a magazine once and stoped at the MaxFactor ad, it was for mascara and the models lashes were perfect! I then noticed some text in the certain of the page you know the bit where the seam sits. So I parted the pages apart to see the text and it stated something like the models is wear enhanced lashes blah blah. Of course I already knew that image wasn’t true. But it bothering why do brand think it’s ok to present something so dishonest? Why do we feel the need to cheat, lie and steal?
I think it might stem from that need to be perfect. When in fact customers don’t expect the perfect solution. We quite simple don’t want to be swizzed! There is usually one thing everyone want from a product or brand. Uphold this one thing and you’ll be better off in the long-run. Being honest really isn’t actually about inventing a pristine perfect brand, it more about just not telling lies!
Build a Honest Brand Today
So to summaries when building a brand identity it’s not a green card to lie about what you brand really cares about in order to persuade or convince your ideal customers and clients. It an opportunity to figure out what you truly value you in your business what you want to become known for and what do you customer want to see and values. It common that when starting out in business you feel this pressure to do everything right! therefore we are all tempted at one point or another too copy, steal another slightly more established brands look. This quick fix, really ins’t a fix at all but more of a temporary plaster one that isn’t like to help you differentiate yourself or build hype around your small business. Lastly it’s simple brand need to be build with authenticity be honest and your people will respect and love you for it…because face it no one like being mislead, lied or swizzed! Go check out episode 47 and find out if it’s time to do a complete rebrand of your business.
