Note:  As part of this series, I offer market examples to illustrate each concept.  Some are fairly extensive, so I’ve chosen to exceed the four-minute mark in favor of quality (hopefully).  After all, they reinforce my points, and I like credibility.

 

 

In Part 1 of this series, we considered how a company’s mission, vision, and values don’t just give it direction, but also form an important part of its brand foundation.

 

However, these aren’t created to be brand assets.  Yes, featuring them on your website’s About page says something about you.  That’s not the same thing as creating brand-dedicated vehicles for shaping audience perception.

 

Doing that requires a marketing mindset.  Marketing in this sense isn’t just the flashy stuff like logos, colors, fonts, and other visuals that take creative agencies months to whiteboard.  In fact, this guide doesn’t cover anything having to do with design.

 

Storytelling plays a far more important role than the nail-biting decision of Open Sans in sangria red versus Proxima Nova in alloy orange.  Don’t get me wrong, form is an important piece.  Function, however, is what conveys the meaning behind that form.

 

Which brings us to the seven elements below.  Are all of them mission critical (no pun intended)?  Absolutely not.  For example, some of these are much more common for B2Cs than B2Bs, and even then they’re not a staple across the board.  Hence the title of this series.

 

Additionally, some of these act more as internal guard rails.  A company isn’t going to proudly proclaim its brand archetype in an ad campaign, which would be both weird and pointless.  The content that does appear in that campaign should align with the spirit of the archetype, though.

 

Whatever you end up considering, each of these elements helps you think critically about your business in its own way.  What do you stand for?  What’s your calling card in the market?  Good questions that deserve good answers.

 

 

Boilerplate

 

As we just established, not every item here is a must-have.  This one most certainly is.  A boilerplate is a brief summary of your company as a whole.  It’s going to be used in some way for various purposes:  press releases, website footer, brochure backflaps, event introductions, and so on.

 

Boilerplates should be generic.  You may have an extensive product line or multiple sub-brands, but the boiler is a 50,000-foot view of those things.  Being generic also allows it to be easily adjustable as necessary for different applications like those just mentioned.

 

Boilers should also be short.  There will be instances in which it’s appropriate to provide an extended description of yourself, but the base version of three to five sentences (give or take) should be all you need most of the time.

 

Boilerplate Examples

 

• Uber Eats: Uber Eats is an on-demand app and website that helps bring millions of people around the world the things they want, at the tap of a button.  We partner with over 890,000 restaurants and merchants in more than 11,000 cities across six continents.  From specialty local favorites to national brand names, groceries to household essentials and more, Uber Eats has what you want when you want it.
• Topgolf: Topgolf Entertainment Group is a global sports and entertainment community that connects nearly 100 million fans in meaningful ways through the experiences we create, the innovation we champion, and the good that we do.  What began as a technology that enhanced the game of golf now encompasses a range of unmatched experiences where communities can discover common ground at brand expressions including Topgolf venues, Topgolf Lounge, Toptracer, Toptracer Range, Topgolf Suite, Topgolf Studios, Topgolf Live, World Golf Tour (WGT) by Topgolf, and Driving for Good.
• Mastercard: Mastercard is a global technology company in the payments industry.  Our mission is to connect and power an inclusive, digital economy that benefits everyone, everywhere by making transactions safe, simple, smart and accessible.  Using secure data and networks, partnerships, and passion, our innovations and solutions help individuals, financial institutions, governments, and businesses realize their greatest potential.  Our decency quotient, or DQ, drives our culture and everything we do inside and outside of our company.  With connections across more than 210 countries and territories, we are building a sustainable world that unlocks priceless possibilities for all.

 

 

Voice + Tone

 

Your brand voice comprises the feelings you attempt to evoke through the written word.  It’s your textual fingerprint represented by a combination of diction, cadence, and sentence structure.

 

Here’s the giveaway:  If someone says a piece of content sounds like your brand, that’s your voice.

 

Businesses often define their voice in a proprietary brand content style guide.  Not all companies have one, but the larger you get, the more important this becomes to ensure consistency in voice, grammar, spelling, etc. across company communications.

 

Brand Voice Examples

 

• Mailchimp
  • We are plainspoken. We understand the world our customers are living in:  one muddled by hyperbolic language, upsells, and over-promises.  We strip all that away and value clarity above all.  Because businesses come to Mailchimp to get to work, we avoid distractions like fluffy metaphors and cheap plays to emotion.
  • We are genuine. We get small businesses because we were one not too long ago.  That means we relate to customers’ challenges and passions and speak to them in a familiar, warm, and accessible way.
  • We are translators. Only experts can make what’s difficult look easy, and it’s our job to demystify B2B-speak and actually educate.
  • Our humor is dry. Our sense of humor is straight-faced, subtle, and a touch eccentric.  We’re weird but not inappropriate, smart but not snobbish.  We prefer winking to shouting.  We’re never condescending or exclusive—we always bring our customers in on the joke.
• Shopify
  • Be real, but not too tough or overly familiar. Use business casual language—be plain-spoken, not pretentious or overly playful.  Be upfront and honest with merchants, even if we make a mistake.  Communicate with clarity and empathy—be direct, not insensitive.
  • Be proactive, but not needy or pushy. Offer merchants sincere encouragement and practical advice.  Clearly explain how merchants are impacted when something goes wrong, but don’t overexplain with redundant content.
  • Be dynamic, but not scattered or impulsive. Communicate in a way that respects merchant emotion and context.  Avoid words that generalize success like “every,” “all,” and “most.”  Use language that supports action, movement, and progress.
  • Guide, but don’t handhold or prescribe. Use expertise to help merchants succeed; don’t talk down to them.  Be specific when explaining benefits without making things sound better than they are.  Teach people the “why” and “how” behind actions—don’t just tell them to do something.
• Mint
  • Insightful: Money is more than just a number that moves up or down.  It tells the story of how our customers live their lives every day on the way towards their goals.  We use human-centered, AI-driven expertise to make their story clear so they can stay on track.
  • Empathetic: There’s a reason behind every money decision.  Like a good friend, we never judge or assume why customers make the calls they do.  Instead, we stay focused on the life they want to lead.  We help them get there by meeting them where they’re at today, every day.
  • Empowering: We always believe in our customers’ power to succeed.  They may be down sometimes, but they’re never out.  We support them with more than just a positive attitude—we give them the insight, actionable steps, and tools they need to keep going.
  • Energizing: A financial journey is a marathon, not a sprint.  We help our customers maintain momentum by chunking out the work into simple steps.  We mark the miles with celebrations, and we focus on stamina over speed when we’re heading uphill together.

 

Your voice rarely changes, but the tone with which it’s delivered may adapt to the audience and situational context.  For instance, you wouldn’t use the same tone in a sizzle reel as you would at a corporate fundraiser, but you’d still sound like you.  Otherwise, that wouldn’t be authentic.  Red Bull coming off as Snuggle at a charity event should never happen.

 

Using an example from above, here’s how Mailchimp defines its tone:

 

• Mailchimp’s tone is usually informal, but it’s always more important to be clear than entertaining. When you’re writing, consider the reader’s state of mind. Are they relieved to be finished with a campaign?  Are they confused and seeking our help on Twitter?  Once you have an idea of their emotional state, you can adjust your tone accordingly.  Mailchimp has a sense of humor, so feel free to be funny when it’s appropriate and when it comes naturally to you.  But don’t go out of your way to make a joke—forced humor can be worse than none at all.  If you’re unsure, keep a straight face.

 

 

Essence

 

At its heart, your brand essence is your main idea.  It’s the unconscious mental association and reliable feeling that people are conditioned to expect with you over time.  I’ve even it seen it described as the “emotional nucleus” around which all other elements revolve.

 

No matter how existential you want to get here, your essence must be consistent and authentic—there’s no fake it til you make it.  It can usually be described in a single word, although two to three isn’t going to signal the brand police.

 

Brand Essence Examples

 

• Volvo: Safety
• Coca-Cola: Happiness
• Rowe Price: Confidence

 

 

Mantra

 

If we started to leave our B2B marketing friends behind with the brand essence, we’re now almost entirely in B2C territory.  There are exceptions to every rule, but I don’t see Lockheed Martin spending a whole lotta time on its “mantra.”

 

That doesn’t mean it’s not important for businesses that do rely on this as scaffolding for their brand identity.  Your mantra is your competitive frame of reference.  It simplifies your brand positioning into its most essential form, snapshotting what you stand for in the market.

 

Mantras typically follow a basic formula:  emotional modifier + descriptive modifier + brand function.  Although those particular words may resemble a short tagline in some cases, they’re not necessarily cohesive in the way a tagline must be to properly convey the brand’s central idea.

 

Brand Mantra Examples

 

• Nike: Authentic athletic performance
• Disney: Fun family entertainment
• Starbucks: Rewarding everyday moments

 

Brand	Emotional Modifier	Descriptive Modifier	Brand Function
Nike	Authentic	Athletic	Performance
Disney	Fun	Family	Entertainment
Starbucks	Rewarding	Everyday	Moments

 

 

Archetype

 

Your brand archetype is your personality in storytelling form.  It literally turns your brand character into an actual character based on symbols or themes that are easily understood across cultures.  Think of it as a mental shortcut for your brand profile.

 

Archetypes are a relatively recent phenomenon.  They were introduced in 2001 by marketing strategists Carol Pearson and Margaret Mark.  The brand archetype wheel they created (below) includes four categories of three archetypes apiece.  Going into them here, even at a high level, would descend into the weeds.  So, if this leaves you thirsting for more, The Brand Leader offers an exhaustive description of all 12, including sub-types for each.

 

Brand Archetype Examples

 

Source:  The Desmond Company

 

 

Manifesto

 

A brand manifesto—occasionally referred to as a brand thesis—is the emotional side of a company’s “why.”  It’s a dramatic take on your brand purpose that attempts to resonate deeply with your audience.  The goal is to inspire people to care even more about your brand by making it more relatable, helping them to envision how your solution will improve their lives.

 

Like mantras and archetypes, manifestos aren’t really the stuff of B2B marketing strategy (at least companies that are exclusively B2B).  That said, if you’re aware of any shops out there trying to Shakespeare up their HR software, do let me know.

 

Brand Manifesto Examples

 

• Apple: Here’s to the crazy ones.  The misfits.  The rebels.  The trouble-makers.  The round pegs in the square holes.  The ones who see things differently.  They’re not fond of rules, and they have no respect for the status quo.  You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them.  But the thing you can’t do is ignore them.  Because they change things.  They push the human race forward.  And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius.  Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.
• The North Face: Why do we explore?  Do we simply want to go places we’ve never been before?  No, it goes far deeper than that.  We explore so we may know the earth better and, along the way, ourselves.  How willful are we?  How strong?  How brave?  We embrace the struggle and accomplish things others thought impossible.  The equipment we rely on is more than our tools.  It is how we transport ourselves from who we are to who we will be.  These are life’s great moments.  We do not explore to cheat death.  We explore to celebrate life.  We will never stop exploring.
• FIAT: There are people who simply live their lives.  And then there are people who take charge of their lives and live it so passionately that they are in love with it.  Love that shines through in every moment and everything they do—big or small.  It is not just cursory appreciation but unadulterated passion.  It is this ability to celebrate the smallest of things with infectious excitement that arises from a certain Italian way of life.  It is this attitude that is at the core of FIAT the brand, its employees, the vehicles they create, and the people who rejoice in their ownership—as individuals as well as a proud collective.  People who love FIAT cars not just for their simple, beautiful, iconic design.  But for their attitude to live big just like they do.

 

 

Fun stuff, right?  These are the things that creatives gush over.  There’s something that shouldn’t get lost in all this dreamy marketing speak, though.

 

Branding, like all marketing efforts, is intended to make it easier for you to sell.  In Part 3, we’ll consider what elements your sales team really needs to iron out before pounding the pavement.  Unlike some of the others in our little 13-point list, all four of these are essential to your business.

 

See you there.

 

Go to Part 3.