Stereotype: (n) standard/conventional image, received idea, cliché, hackneyed idea, formula.

When I begin work with new clients as their branding and/or business consultant, one of the very first questions I ask them is what stereotypes they know to be associated with the work they do. At first, I used to think that stereotypes were only associated with taboos or unconventional/under the radar issues- as I knew to be true in the extensive work I’d done with non-profits, social minority groups, and health/wellness front-runners. However, I soon learned that stereotyping is a natural and fundamental process of human understanding.

Understanding the stereotypes that impact our brand image is like crawling is to walking. Just as a child needs the developmental crawl stage for building physical and cognitive strength, awareness and confidence, a business/organization must crawl before it walks. And while there are always exceptions to the rule (i.e. my older brother went from sitting to walking), it is true, at least for businesses, that the strongest and best-adjusted brands are those that have explored the environment around them in organic stages. And for what it’s worth, I rode my bike, tied my shoelaces, and was able to recite the months of the year well before my big brother. ☺

During the crawl stage of branding and business development, the task of unearthing stereotypes is critical to the walking stage of cleaning the lens- that is, before we even take pen to paper with the graphic design stage of branding, we must face and accept as reality all of the misconceptions and negative connotations that surround and define our field of work.

I see this even with my own work. To me, branding is like water. Everyone needs a strong brand- not just sometimes, but all the time, every day. A brand’s value to a business is critical to that business’s continued success and capacity for growth. Branding is nourishing. However, there are some serious stereotypes surrounding the idea of branding (vs. the definition of branding.) The unfortunate reality of stereotypes surrounding the family of branding, marketing and sales, is that there are far more examples of marketing that has been applied to hurt people, rather than those that show how branding and marketing can help people. What’s worse is that the consumer usually doesn’t find out that they’ve been “duped” until after the fact- which really reinforces the negative connotations of the industry. This negative reinforcement spreads like Hollywood gossip and ends up hurting mostly those businesses that sincerely wish to make the world a better place.

So, it is my responsibility as a business to make sure that I clean the lens as often as possible so that my clients and potential clients don’t see branding and marketing – and therefore, my business - as a necessary evil, but rather, as an opportunity.

Cleaning the Lens
Ok, so where to start with the lens-cleaning process?
Well, first define what you do. Literally, take out a dictionary and define it.
Next, start listing stereotypes. All of them. What kinds of imagery and words are associated (doesn’t matter how or why) with you, the work you do, or the industry you work in? And Why?

And then think about it…

This is the first step in getting to know your brand. Know thy stereotypes.

Keep your friends close, and your stereotypes closer.

And then, call me, and I’ll make sure you have some killer messaging and imagery that you can take and RUN with.

For more information on what Sol Identity can do to help you build your solid entity, contact me:

Dee Lieber
Identity Synergist
971.238.1419

Samples and more @ http://www.solidentity.com