Ah! Sunday mornings! For many it is a time for leisure and fun. In my neighborhood I spotted a couple of trendy bikes venturing gingerly along the roadside, their riders dressed in trendy gear from cycling caps to vest, pants and shoes like the ones serious mountain-bikers wear, going for an urban ride. SO WHAT is the story here anyway?
Well, though the outfits and paraphenalia were what are common for twenty-somethings, these couple of riders were obviously senior citizens who were having fun being togged out ever so correctly and giving their muscles a stretch. The lady was in front, riding along not very confidently, and her male companion was chivalrously behind, keeping an eye on her safety while stumbling behind along the uneven pavement. Both looked quite sheepish actually, but nonetheless were smilingly determined to achieve their goals. And their keen enthusiasm was pleasantly infectious. Bravo!
With humans living longer now, more and more are making serious attempts to eat more nutritiously and improve physical fitness too. But WHY? At the personal level, obesity is now recognized as a global issue from even pre-schoolers on, and, even the not-obese middle-aged are being struck by heart disease! Ouch!
So, so, so WHAT does any of this have to do with Branding you ask? Think about it for a moment. Fair or not, the lively person attracts more business than a sluggish one. The very APPEARANCE of youthfulness / fitness exudes reliability to get something done. Have you seen that poster of a white-haired man in his 80's wearing a towel and displaying washboard abs outside Brand X Fitness Centre? Impressive, isn't it? The expectation is that what he stands for IS capable of delivering his Brand Promise. Exuding an air of good health attracts confidence from buyers. Fitness icon Jack LaLanne's products (he was born in 1914!) still sell.
You know, we had fun doing an exercise at a recent Branding workshop, to match impressions with how accurately we portrayed our professions (Brand Image) and the results were simply hilarious! One Regional Business Development Director of a conglomerate got the almost unanimous response from the group that she looked like an accountant interested in collecting money than in negotiating fair business exchanges! Fancy that!
Try it out for yourself: Ask a group of people who don't know you very well to guess what your line of business is. Your physical image just might be your strongest attraction for customers, OR conversely might even be leading them to take longer to accept your offerings.
Want some to discuss how to project and attract more confidence in your products and services? Give me a call at 6-03-21697704 and we'll get you there :)
BRING ME THE BRAND, AND I'LL INCREASE ITS PROFITS!
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