Branding

The Part of Your Brand You Just Can’t Fake


I love tax season. Let me clarify … I love tax season because it gives me the opportunity to enjoy one of my favorite brand experiences — seeing my accountant. What’s next? I look forward to root canals as well?! All kidding aside, I love visiting my accountant because he creates an exceptional brand experience. 

To be clear, he hasn’t created a remarkable experience with a lot of superficial sizzle. There are no offices with stone columns and fountains. My wife is from rural Iowa outside of Manchester. Her father, who farms nearby, has gone to Dennis Prinsen for his taxes for many years. When we were first married and less “encumbered by income,” we started doing our taxes there as well.

What makes Dennis remarkable is his passion for taxes. Yep, taxes. He enjoys his work and you can tell from even the simplest of meetings with him. From the spring in his step when he comes out to greet you to the dog-eared pages of the tax code book that he valiantly tries to explain to you, it’s easy to see that helping others like this is what winds Dennis’ clock.

Dennis gets it. When it comes to assembling your brand’s unique DNA, there’s simply no substitute for pure passion. Ultimately, this is a part of your brand you can’t fake. If that gives you pause it should. If you are building your brand you need to have that kind of passion.

Does it have to flow from you as the leader of the organization? Not always but that certainly helps. During his recent stint co-hosting #blogchat, Brian Solis made the point that the CEO isn’t always the best voice of the company. However, if that kind of passion isn’t part of your leadership style, you need to make sure there’s someone in your organization in a visible position that can stoke those fires.

How visible is your brand’s passion?

Photo via Flickr user 401K