Several years ago, I read a book called “The Four Agreements”. It provided a framework for living your life without self-limiting beliefs. I find myself going back to the four agreements quite often in life because I find them to be extremely effective in helping me to stay “on course”. Interestingly, I find three of these agreements to be particularly applicable to the execution of marketing programs — so here are a few branding guidelines:
- Be impeccable with your word. – Dictionary.com defines impeccable as faultless; flawless; irreproachable. We should take pains to be impeccable in how we brand our products and execute our marketing programs across all platforms. This includes maintaining consistency in execution, staying on strategy and being true to the brand personality. The second definition is “not liable to sin; being incapable of sin.” This can relate to your messaging also in that the best strategy is to use your brand & messaging in a way that uplifts versus destroying. An example of not being impeccable with your word would be negative advertising. We see a lot of it in politics. In these instances, the messages are far from impeccable. It doesn’t mean they won’t work in the short term. The real question to ask is in “how does this reflect on my brand image; is this the image I want to convey?” Constantly ask yourself these questions. Strive to be impeccable.
- Always do your best. This goes without saying. If you build your business and motivate your employees to always be at their best, it will be reflected in the message your customers take away. As marketers, we need to create an atmosphere that encourages the best performance. It starts at the top of an organization. If you can’t give your best, maybe you should think twice about committing to do it — particularly when poor performance can tarnish the image of your brand.
- Don’t make assumptions – I love this one, but it is so hard to do. We constantly make assumptions based on past experiences when we could just as easily check in and ask. Don’t assume your customers like your product or service. Ask. Don’t make assumptions about whether a program is working for you. Measure it.
In case you are wondering what the fourth agreement is, it’s Don’t take anything personally. Though I believe this is important in life, when it comes to branding and marketing, we have to see ourselves through the lenses of our customers. They reflect back what we put out there.