The Power of a Strong Brand

Can you guess this brand?

I recently wrapped up this little painting late at night, deeming it "good enough" before I ruined it by "overoptimizing" it (a reality in all of my work).

I debated one last tweak -- etching the beer's name on the glass -- before calling it quits.

Then I was reminded of the power of strong brands.

***

You already know this beer.

You recognize its color, the thick frothy head, the shape of the glass.

You know what country it comes from.

And whether you personally like it or not, it likely conjures up memories... maybe of a certain day in March, or of a time with friends at the local pub.

This might be the only beer on the planet that is unmistakable at first glance -- and without a labeled bottle or can nearby.

Can you say that about your favorite pilsner or IPA? I can't.

***

There's plenty of stouts and porters to choose from. And even if this were a different beer, your mind is already locked in on this brand. It lives rent free in your head each time you see it.

That association was built with careful intention, and delivered one pour, one pint glass at time.

That's a strong brand at work -- even when the logo is absent.

Cheers!

(Props to my near 80-year-old neighbor Phil who kindly squares off discarded wood scraps from his workshop and gives them to me as canvases to support my painting habit)

The hard way differentiation happens

If there's one thing I've learned in the branding / marketing / messaging space over the years it's this:

An excessive amount of time gets spent on how orgs position what they do, concocting the exact blend of words that seem novel in an attempt to say it unlike anyone else is doing it... while little time is spent scrutinizing how "it" gets done and why.

Differentiation doesn't happen as a result of flowery, expertise-driven language or prettier pictures.

It comes by articulating what you do simply, plainly, clearly, unmistakably --and offering it as an accurate reflection of the lived experience.

[ ** side note: people who say they want to create something "out of the box" are not the customer. They are people who have tired of their existing efforts that must not be delivering results, which triggers the desire for more extreme changes ** ]

The perceived hard thing (differentiation) becomes an elusive treasure hunt... while ignoring the obvious thing (clarity and accuracy) because they haven't defined it or see it as too easy to be made so simple (in reality, this is hard).

I liken this to the Kerouac quote:

"One day I will find the right words, and they will be simple."

Until then, many will continue to do a hard thing -- using too many of the wrong words and making things more complicated than they need to be.

It gets even harder when dollars are put behind those words that fail to build trust and move the needle.

And in my experience, that's where the pursuit of simple clarity and accuracy begins.

When your chosen words lose their meaning and intent

Two questions we are not asking ourselves and taking seriously enough:

·        What happens when our language choices lose their meaning?

·        What’s at stake when we rely on vague or overused language? 

As an outcome of our autopilot content creation, here’s that what I think happens: audiences gloss over it, they apply their own meaning or definition to worn-out words, or worse, they dismiss it — and you.  

I believe this happens often, especially when we try too hard to sound smart rather than communicate clearly. And I say that as an audience member and a writer who must fight against autopilot smarts.  

So I’ll ask – what does this business language say to you:

-- Innovation

-- Transformational

-- Brand

-- Speed / Acceleration

-- Strategy

-- Next

You’ll have definitions that differ from mine – and possibly your audience (I have three definitions for each – precise, generic and negative).

When people read these words in context of your content churn, expect that they will apply their definitions accordingly. I do, and I think you probably do, too.

I put these once well-intended words into what I call The Canon of Acceptable Business Vernacular, language that is predictable, rudderless, highly overused and often intentionally vague — the opposite of what should be conveyed, of having distinction and uniqueness that everyone claims.

You know many of the Canon’s entries — formerly known as “buzzwords” at the height of their overuse. Eventually they cool down and become part of the Canon, awaiting resurrection from someone who doesn’t know quite what to say.

But the Canon doesn’t make you or your writing any smarter. Rather, audiences recognize it as business-speak void of the substance and clarity they crave.

And here’s the real danger:

When you turn to the Canon and expect it to do the heavy lifting, you forfeit clarity and meaning.   

When you use the Canon's opaque words by default without testing, asking others and getting clear about what you mean, your words lose their value.

Standing out isn’t about fitting in with a vague vernacular and trying to look or sound the part. It’s about giving audiences a reason to believe because you left no doubt.     

As I see it, we outsourced much of our thinking and language a long time ago by applying so-called “best practices” without asking critical questions about meaning and intent (unless, of course, the strategy is a cut-and-paste and hope-for-the-best approach, which is not a wise strategy and kinda feels like generative AI).   

Sure, it’ll take some deeper thinking and iteration – which will require a bit more time – even as you "accelerate at speed toward the next brand innovation breakthrough that will transform lives." But that’s also the point.

Which brings me to this old trope: Mean what you say and say what you mean.

While you might find it cliché, you’ll do a lot worse if you choose to ignore its simple genius.  

Give AI slop a hard stop.

Here’s a truth about the perpetual mudslide of AI slop:

It’s avoidable. Mostly.

And here’s how:

• Cull your connections to people you’ve met, you know well, and trust their insights. Numbers of connections mean nothing. Real human connections are what matter.

• If someone in your network is a slop-slinger, mute them.

• You’ve been conditioned to scroll, but a habit formed can be a habit broken.

• Search with specific intention vs. scrolling aimlessly.

• Seek out insights from your people vs. hoping they appear in the timeline. The timeline is not your friend. It is a slop-fest.

Then, close the tab.

Close the app.

Close the laptop.

Turn off the device.

AI slop is a digital phenomenon.

Live outside your devices and live more slop-free.