In 1961, Vince Lombardi walked into the Green Bay Packers’ training camp after a crushing defeat in the previous NFL Championship. He held up a football and declared, “Gentlemen, this is a football.”
It might sound absurd to start with the basics for a team of professional athletes, but Lombardi knew something many overlook: success isn’t about complexity or gimmicks—it’s about mastering the fundamentals. Under his leadership, the Packers drilled relentlessly on the basics and went on to become one of the greatest teams in NFL history.
What’s Your Football?
For your business, the question is: “What’s your brand’s football?” What are the core elements of who you are and how you show up to your customers?
Your brand isn’t just your logo or tagline. It’s how people perceive you, how they feel about you, and, most importantly, what they say about you when you’re not in the room. Whether you’ve actively shaped it or not, you already have a brand. The question is, are you in control of it?
This brings us to another master of clarity, Albert Einstein, who believed that simplicity is the ultimate test of understanding.
Step 1: Clarity is Power
Einstein once said, “If you can’t explain it to a six-year-old, you don’t understand it yourself.”
When it comes to branding, this is gospel. Many businesses overcomplicate their messaging, trying to appeal to everyone. But the truth is, complexity confuses your audience. If customers can’t understand who you are and what you do in seconds, they’ll move on.
How to Simplify Your Brand:
- Write down your value proposition in one sentence. If it’s more than 15 words, simplify it.
- Ask a friend or family member outside your industry to explain your business back to you. If they struggle, your message isn’t clear enough.
Example:
Instead of saying, “We offer innovative and synergistic solutions to optimize operational efficiency,” say, “We help businesses save time and money with easy IT solutions.”
Step 2: Authenticity Cuts Through the Noise
Bruce Lee’s philosophy, “Adapt what is useful, reject what is useless, and add what is specifically your own,” is branding gold.
The most successful brands aren’t trying to imitate others—they embrace what makes them unique. Authenticity builds trust and connection, especially for small businesses.
How to Make Your Brand Authentic:
- Identify what sets you apart: Is it your story? Your values? Your customer service?
- Lean into your strengths instead of copying the competition.
Example:
A small bakery could compete with chain stores by highlighting their handmade, family recipes and connection to the local community, rather than trying to match prices or product range.
Step 3: Emotional Resonance is Key
Maya Angelou’s timeless wisdom, “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel,” applies directly to branding.
Your brand should create an emotional connection. People choose brands that make them feel valued, understood, or inspired.
How to Build Emotional Connection:
- Focus on your customer’s story, not yours.
- Ask: What problem does my customer have, and how can I solve it in a way that makes their life easier or better?
Example:
Think about Apple’s marketing: It’s not about the specs of their devices—it’s about creativity, simplicity, and empowerment.
Step 4: Strategy Before Tactics
From The Art of War, Sun Tzu reminds us, “Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat.”
Branding without a strategy is like throwing spaghetti at the wall to see what sticks. Your logo, social media posts, or website won’t work unless they’re part of a bigger plan.
How to Create a Brand Strategy:
- Define your mission and values.
- Identify your target audience. Who are they? What do they care about?
- Develop a consistent visual and verbal identity.
Example: Coffee Shops with Contrasting Brand Strategies
Imagine two independent coffee shops in the same city:
The Local Roastery:
- Brand Focus: Artisan craftsmanship and sustainability.
- Messaging: Highlights their ethically sourced beans, small-batch roasting process, and commitment to the environment.
- Customer Experience: Rustic, warm interior with reclaimed wood furniture, local art on the walls, and handwritten chalkboard menus.
Grind & Go Café:
- Brand Focus: Speed and urban energy.
- Messaging: Focuses on convenience for busy professionals, with fast service and mobile-ordering.
- Customer Experience: Sleek, modern interior with industrial decor, grab-and-go options, and branding that screams efficiency and tech-forward convenience.
Why This Works:
Both businesses sell coffee, but their branding reflects completely different priorities and target audiences. One leans into a slow, thoughtful experience tied to craftsmanship and values. The other embraces speed and innovation for people on the move. Neither approach is wrong—what matters is that their branding is aligned with their mission and resonates with their audience.
Actionable Steps to Clarify Your Brand
- Audit Your Current Brand:
Look at your logo, tagline, website, social media, and messaging. Are they consistent? Do they align with what you want people to say about your business? - Focus on the Customer Journey:
Map out every touchpoint with your customers. Are you delivering a cohesive experience from start to finish? - Ask for Feedback:
What do your customers think of when they hear your business name? If their answers don’t align with your goals, you have work to do. - Keep It Simple:
Remember Lombardi’s lesson. Start with the fundamentals: Who are you? Who do you serve? What problem do you solve? Then build from there.
In The End It’s Not About What You Say
Branding isn’t reserved for big businesses with big budgets. It’s the foundation of trust, loyalty, and growth—no matter the size of your business.
So, take a page from Vince Lombardi and all our other purveyors of truth: focus on the fundamentals. Embrace clarity, authenticity, emotional connection, and strategy. Because as Marty Neumeier said, “A brand is not what you say it is. It’s what they say it is.”
The question is, what do you want them to say?
