One of my private entertainments is interpreting residential real-estate descriptions.
“Pride of ownership shows through and through” must be my favourite of the euphemisms found in that industry’s communication toolbox. My translation: “While the owner has not made a single update to the home during their 35 years living in it, they have meticulously maintained its elements as a historical timepiece that will have no connection to the buyer.”
I imagine the real-estate agent’s carefully negotiated balance:
- to navigate the sensitivities of the owner’s emotional connection to the home exactly as it is
- to present the home to potential buyers who seek a home they can attach their own emotional value to
Working with founders to review and update their brands is not unlike the real-estate agent’s task in some ways. The perceived value of a brand (the home, in this analogy) is entirely in the eyes of the customer, member, or subscriber (the buyer). It’s not natural for most founders to do, but the key to a successful brand (be it new, updated, or refined) is to view it passionately through the eyes of the intended audience.
Note that I did not write “to view it dispassionately”. Brand owners often engage me because I will provide an objective perspective – but the required objectivity is not dispassionate.
Rather, the value I bring is to give a brand owner the experience of their home through the lens of the target buyer — to experience the buyer’s passion. When an owner is transported “outside” the brand they are invested in, they discover a world of opportunity, possibility, and vision. And that’s where forward movement really begins.
If you’re proud of your brand or company and ready to learn how to connect others to it passionately, let’s chat!
The key to a successful brand (be it new, updated, or refined) is to view it passionately through the eyes of the intended audience.