Branding In 30 Seconds

September 10, 2008 by ian

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

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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