While there is certainly no, single magic bullet to help take your brand to the next level, there are four foundational ingredients that solid brands have to live on. Mixing these ingredients together is how you succeed in creating a good brand.

The right customer – In a world where everyone wants everything from everybody, the brands that can successfully specialize will be the ones that are going to be here over the long haul. Finding that target customer and relentlessly focusing on them can pay tremendous dividends but also means you’ll have to sacrifice things that aren’t valued by others. Good branding always requires sacrifice. If you try to be all things to all people, you will fail.

Personality, promise, and position – Simply by targeting your brand, you’ve made this part of the branding process that much easier.

• A great brand personality rests on authenticity and is attractive to your customer.
• A great brand promise means fulfilling your customer’s needs with your organization’s passion.
• A great brand position is when your customer chooses you over your competition for clear, measurable reasons.

Consistent delivery – Good brands always deliver a consistent experience – from conception and sales through to the delivery. In every way a brand is experienced, customers must be able to depend on you regardless of the platform. Strong execution from your team is what tells your brand’s story and proves that your established values are not only authentic, but also widely shared across your organization as well.

Responsiveness – Being able to respond to changes, challenges and opportunities is what will be the true test of your brand’s longevity. The desire to want to evolve, the leadership to effectively execute change and the ability to renew itself is a requirement of any successful brand. Your customers needs will change and so will yours.