To brand is human.

A good brand beats every algorithm hack because brand can’t be hacked. A brand is not a logo. A brand is not name recognition or simply being “top-of-mind”. A brand is not a color scheme or a special sale. Those are merely tactics. Far too often, I see organizations and individuals waste time, energy, and lots of money because they do not understand how to effectively deploy brand in their marketing activities and customer relationships.

Let’s be clear… BRAND IS A FEELING.

Even deeper, it is a reflection of how people feels about themselves. If you can effectively understand and connect with that feeling, you win. Once you understand this, your offerings get more refined, your messaging aligns both your customers and your team, and guess what… you also make more efficient use of your marketing dollars.

One of my favorite definitions of brand comes from marketing genius Seth Godin. Seth defines brand as, “A brand is the set of expectations, memories, stories, and relationships that, taken together, account for a consumer's decision to choose one product or service over another.”

I created this little equation to communicate the long-term ROI of brand building activities vs sales activities:

Sales Conversion = 1 sale
Brand Conversion = Religion

If you convince someone to buy something from you, great! You made a sale.
If you convince someone that they feel better about themselves for doing business with you because of your mission and values, CONGRATULATIONS! You have now become a part of who that person is. You won’t have to ask for the next sale.

Get it?

This is the most human element of marketing and business, which is why I love engaging and executing to brand so much. If you feel the same way, welcome to the team!

If you or your organization would like to be better, I’d love to help.

I talk about branding and other business topics on my weekly show. You can check it out here.

Go Deeper on Brand

How to Get Yourself UNstuck

Everyone gets ‘stuck’ in life. I just did in a MAJOR way. The new site we launched for Congruent took about 10 times longer to develop then if we had been building a site for a client. Why? Because it was ours. Because we were too close to it. Because that’s what happens when objectivity leaves the room.

A Marketing Approach That Will Change Your Organization

If you’ve been confused, disheartened, suspicious and/or frustrated with your branding and marketing spend, there is probably good reason.

Why Modern Marketing Metrics are Broken

I’ve been getting myself into a little trouble lately. I just don’t understand how the conflict of interest in the current agency model has lived on for so long. Charging clients fees which are based on a percentage of ad spend just seems crazy to me. Some of the metrics justifying that spend seem even crazier. Most of them aren’t even tied back to meaningful measurables.

Why the Ad-Spend Markup Agency Model is Broken and What to Do About It.

Would you rather spend your marketing dollars on ads, or on content that’s created to optimize lasting brand connection? There is an existing conflict in the ad world that is forcing many organizations into ad spend that is out of balance. Because the economy is good right now, I feel like no one is paying attention and I want to start the conversation.

Starting a Business: Things I Wish I Knew

A lot has changed in the business world since I first ventured out to start my own business with a few thousand borrowed dollars and a rusty 1984 Chevy Astro. In the 17 years since there are so many things that 2019 Paul would have been able to teach 2003 Paul. I guess that’s why experience really matters.

The "Pills" of Business: Short-Term Marketing Tactics

It’s not easy to walk through an airport backwards, recording a podcast … ESPECIALLY when everyone else’s eyes are glued to their phones! But then I thought to myself: there’s a daily opportunity that your brand DOESN’T want to miss.

A Millennial's Experience Proves Brand Connection Wins

I had a conversation about a brand experience I just couldn’t ignore. More than that, I couldn’t bear NOT sharing it with you because of it’s timely relevance.

The Birth of Carvana (Guest: CEO, Ernie Garcia)

Every company starts with a story. Usually that story revolves around a person and a problem they are out to solve. Today is no different. When I spent some time with Carvana CEO, Ernie Garcia a while back we saved a good portion of the interview to release after the initial segment.

17 Years of Experience in 64 Pages

Understanding the right way to run a business, both internally and externally, took time. And seeing the old ways of doing things plateau motivated me even more to spread my ideas.

A BowTie and a Personal Brand

When BowTie Terrance found himself selling cars nearly 800 miles from home, he found a way to make sure people knew who he was. I can’t wait for you to meet him.