Its so important to make sure that when you are portraying a brand – you look the part. You have to believe in what you are selling and engaging with. A brand can be made if it is believed in by others, which means it firstly needs to be believed in by the person responsible for the portrayal of the brand.
As part of this project I wanted a hoodie and business cards. Firstly, every professional who wants to come across well establishes there look. The look is what people then engage with. If you walk in with scruffy jeans, a ripped hoodie and not really caring for how you present. To have a hoodie that has the logo on it shows that I believe in the brand I portraying. I believe in the project. I believe in what I am doing. That is why the brand and the image I have is so important to make it look right. When I go around the world and I go to some of the events I need to have that logo and that look – slick. Also, it needs to be translatable. The logo and brand needs to not offend anyone around the world and I need to make sure it wouldn’t clash with anything that might cause confusion. Brands have to be individual and unique – as much as they can. Fortunately for me there has never been a product like “Around the World in 80 Events” so really I am developing a brand that is unique and new.
Business cards may be viewed as outdated but I actually see them as something more than just contact details. When I am going around the world I am going to be telling a story. Each person I meet is a character whose story will shape my story. In return of engaging with the story I want them to remember the engagement. I want them to keep something that lets them remember they were part of the journey. I want the business cards to be memorable, things people will keep and engage with. I wanted them to have character and leave people with a ticket to be part of my journey. That ticket is then there opportunity to go and live their own dream. A reason has to be behind what I am purchasing and adding to the trip – because this in return makes the packaging of the brand more valuable.
As you can tell by now after all the previous blog posts – everything has a hidden meaning. The business cards are tickets and the hoodie is more than just for warmth and comfort. But that’s the point of living a dream and not just what’s on the surface. Diving down and delivering underlying messages is exactly what is needed.
So remember next time you create a “brand” – is it memorable, translatable, believable and do you love it – if you answered yes for all four – there is your brand…