“Branding is not only about ubiquity, visibility, and functions; it is about bonding emotionally with people in their daily life. Only when a product or a service kindles an emotional dialogue with the consumer, can this product of service qualify to be a brand.” –Marc Gobe, Emotionally Branding
Marc Gobe wrote the book Emotional Branding in 2002 and it has completely changed my view of branding in the personal and professional world. The quote listed above is one of my favorites from the book because of the focus on an emotional dialogue. Personal and professional branding is driven around the idea of an emotional dialogue…bonding with people in their daily lives.
It’s easy to say but harder to accomplish… so what does it mean to have an emotional dialogue?
Dialogue is built off the idea of a conversation. Its everyday basis and counterpart is a conversational exchange between two or more people. How do you apply tactics to your overall brand to connect in emotional conversations?
Tell stories
Stories are the basic fundamentals of every brand. There is always a story behind why a company was formed or why an author wrote a best selling book. There are stories behind speakers and consultants… and stories behind their clients.
Brands are hundreds of stories combined to form one universal message… one conversational tone.
Think back to when you started your professional career… think back to that day in college when you decided what you wanted to be in life (and then changed it thirty times).
This is the story that drives you beyond the competition… these are the stories that push ubiquity, visibility, and function.
People remember stories above all else
Have you created your story? Have you developed your emotional connection?
Now is the time…
