How to Build an Irresistible Brand People Will Love
Most socialpreneurs mistakenly think building an irresistible brand people will love requires a shiny new website, bangin’ social presence, or other tangible “thing.”
But, “things” only attract a crowd when they have that “It” Factor that makes people say, “This is SOOOOOOOO me. Why the heck haven’t I done this yet?!”
Now that you know a brand is a relationship between an organization and people (and that you’re one of the people), it’s time to clarify what makes a brand irresistible.
What gives a brand that “It” Factor?
IRRESISTIBLE BRANDS HAVE FOUR DIMENSIONS IN COMMON
People love them because they’re:
Noticeable
Desirable
Memorable
Valuable
They speak to someone in particular, which means they have the courage to be misunderstood by everyone else. They set a course that empowers those involved (including you) to become a better version of themselves. They also fly in the face of a commonly held assumption and accelerate with a shared purpose to improve life.
In other words, irresistible brands are full of “we-ness” - that’s why they resonate.
So, what makes a brand noticeable, desirable, memorable, and valuable?
TO BE NOTICEABLE, THE BRAND MUST SPEAK TO SOMEONE IN PARTICULAR
Irresistible brands have a clearly defined “flight crew.”
The “flight crew” of a plane is responsible for operating the aircraft. The composition of the flight crew depends on the type of aircraft, flight's anticipated duration, and flight’s purpose.
If you think of the brand like a plane, and you as a pilot, the other people in this equation aren’t passengers along for the ride. They’re also part of the “flight crew” that’s flying this “plane.” So, a brand’s “fight crew” operates the brand and the composition of those involved depends on several factors.
Communities spark a sense of belonging based on some kind of similarity. It’s this common behavior, experience, interest, or location that helps a brand be noticeable to “people like us.”
Keep in mind, you’re one of the people in the “flight crew” so this definition has to describe you, all the people who work for the organization, and all the people who in some way engage with the organization.
Together you’re one big “we,” and this definition clarifies who’s included in that “we” so the brand is positioned to magnetically attract the right people - the “fight crew.”
TO BE DESIRABLE, THE BRAND MUST PROVIDE A PERSONAL TRANSFORMATION
Irresistible brands set a course for a “desired destination.”
A plane wouldn’t get far if the pilots were steering in different directions.
If you’re trying to take the brand in one direction, and the other members of the “flight crew” are trying to go in another, you aren’t going to get far either.
Communities help people meet an individual need, providing those involved a chance to become a better, or even the best, version of themselves. It’s this personal transformation - this AFTER-effect - that helps a brand be desirable.
Showing the AFTER-effect of the transformation is what enables people to envision themselves going through it. Rather than attempt to retro-fit a transformation onto an existing offer or service, the goal is to figure out the transformation the “flight crew” wants and then create offerings and services to deliver that transformation.
Having a clearly defined “desired destination” that helps all those involved (including you) be more successful is what makes a brand desirable and immediately important and relevant.
TO BE MEMORABLE, THE BRAND MUST STAND AGAINST THE STATUS QUO
Irresistible brands fly in the face of a “strong headwind.”
Although it might seem counterintuitive to not want wind pushing a plane down the runway, pilots take off into the wind, to get off the ground faster. In fact, airport runways are designed to point in the direction of the prevailing wind in an area. This wind is called a headwind because it’s what’s coming at the plane.
Brands that fly in the face of the status quo take off faster, too. Communities share beliefs that stand against the status quo in some way. When people believe they’ve heard it before, they’re more likely to tune out.
Flying in the face of a commonly held thought, opinion, or expectation (“strong headwind”) is what makes a brand memorable and original.
TO BE VALUABLE, THE BRAND MUST IMPROVE LIFE
Irresistible brands use “forward motion” to create lift.
The faster an airplane travels, the more lift it generates. As NASA explains, “No motion: no lift.”
Brands create lift by moving life forward in some way.
Communities act based on a common goal to improve life - one that everyone in the relationship values.
Research demonstrates that the most successful brands do just that by activating one of five fundamental human values: eliciting joy, enabling connection, inspiring exploration, evoking pride, impacting society (see Jim Stengel).
Brands that intentionally activate one of these five fundamental human values in all they do grow 3-10x faster than their competition and tend to have employee engagement levels at twice the national average. So, it’s not just some woo-woo, “Kumbaya” stuff...it’s smart business.
Sure, you might want to activate more than one, but, if you keep asking “why” and “so what?” - “Why is joy important? So what? What does that make possible? So what? Why does that matter? ” - eventually you’ll arrive at just one value that is at the heart of all brand activity.
It’s this mutual care and collective intent - this “forward motion” - that helps a brand be valuable to all those involved (you and the entire “flight crew”) and matter for the long haul.
SO, HOW DOES THE BRAND YOU’RE PILOTING MEASURES UP?
Before departure, pilots do a preflight check to ensure the aircraft is in airworthy condition. This assessment helps them ensure the plane is safe and ready for takeoff.
When it comes to a brand, there are four key areas to check. Remember, good brands take off - FAST - when they’re:
Noticeable
Desirable
Memorable
Valuable
Urgently Good performs a 4-point check of these dimensions and calculates Your “It” Factor during a Preflight Check. Your “It” Factor is a measure of how noticeable, desirable, memorable, and valuable the brand is today.
To do your own 4-point check, try to define each of the four dimensions in a simple phrase or sentence.
Look at those definitions, how well do you understand and activate:
Who the brand speaks to - the Flight Crew - which defines all of you and positions the brand to magnetically attract the right people
Where the brand takes people - the Desired Destination - which defines the personal transformation possible and positions the brand to be immediately important and relevant
What the brand flies against - the Strong Headwind - which defines the commonly held thought, opinion, or expectation that already exists and positions the brand to be original and stand out
How the brand improves life - the Forward Motion - which defines the collective intent to improve life and positions the brand to matter to all for the long-haul
Together these dimensions create an irresistible 4-point positioning strategy for the brand. They’re also the building blocks of “we-ness.” You’ll need to fully understand each of these dimensions to be able to determine the brand’s heading or shared agenda...the “we-ness” that you build everything around. The shared agenda is the “secret” to be a successful socialpreneur who changes the world.
If you’re feeling a little lost, you can also schedule a Preflight Check with Urgently Good to find out what’s airworthy about the brand today and how you can strengthen Your ‘“It” Factor to build an irresistible brand people will love for the long haul.
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