Branding In 30 Seconds

Real branding is really hard, and I suck at it.

brandedouch.jpg

So, I've had to come up with simpler, faster ways to make sure that, when I'm hired to do some internet marketing, I don't pick up a client's brand, rip it into a thousand tiny pieces and shove it into the garbage disposal.

Here's a quick test I use to see if my brand assumptions are on track:

The Hiring Test

  1. Imagine you're hiring your very first employee.
  2. Figure out three phrases that describe the perfect hire.
  3. Make sure they're more specific than 'fast' or 'smart'.

For example, at Portent I always aim for: 'Intellectually curious', 'creative thinker' and 'honest'. It so happens that that's a pretty good picture of Portent's brand, too.

I am not suggesting this is a complete brand profile. That would be moronic. But this is a good way to make sure you're not about to destroy your brand.

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Matt says:

September 11, 2008 06:34

Thanks Ian! Thats a great start, I'll actually be sitting down with my designer to do a new logo and I'm going to use the phrases I came up with via your test to get it started.

David Mihm says:

September 11, 2008 07:47

Ian, what a unique way of thinking about both branding AND the hiring process. Hadn't seen anything like this before. Very cool.

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