Nordstrom and Target, the Ritz Carlton and Best Western — these are brand names that evoke very different yet very distinct emotions and memories. National and international companies consistently capitalize on and monetize branding, and so can smaller insurance entities and individuals. The explosion of the Internet and social media platforms has also created more and more opportunities to communicate your story.
The reality is that your "brand" exists in the minds of your clients, prospects, and competition on some level, whether you are purposeful about it or not. The trick is to use strategic planning to control your perception in the marketplace. An image that is built correctly will make you stand out from the competition, attract new clients, and build a strong following. It's not just about a logo or slogan, it's about creating a narrative that reflects who you truly are.
Why creating your brand is important
With easy access to information, and multiple options to distribute it, building mindshare by branding has become more critical than ever. Gone are the days when a brand was simply a name or a tagline. In the digital age, branding has evolved to encompass an entire ecosystem of visuals, messaging, emotions, and experiences used to define an entity. Building a strong label for yourself is a strategic imperative across all industries.
Read more:
Successfully constructing your public image involves crafting a cohesive story that reflects your real values, personality, and promise. Of course, then effectively communicating that idea to your audience is key. Tools include the usual visual elements, such as logos, colors, and typography, but more essential are the influential intangible elements, like brand positioning, your voice, and emotional connections. It is the emotional and psychological relationship that consumers have with a brand that shapes their perceptions, preferences, and purchase decisions.
Case study: Building "the power of two"
We became a team on the premise that two minds are better than one, especially when those two minds come from completely opposite worlds. We represented different ages, demographics, races, genders, and cultures: two perspectives, one solution. When we began selling together, we realized that no one else in our area had done so. It was an anomaly in the competitive benefits field for two salespeople to conduct virtually every meeting and presentation together. We encountered some resistance in the beginning, but we found that our "brand" was indeed our superpower; working as a team, combining the elements of our diverse skills and separate approaches, we offered many more options to better serve our clients. This made us stand out.
Our approach also focused on community over competition, moving away from the norm in the benefits industry. By rejecting the traditional "sales" mold, we soon gained recognition in the media, attracted new clients, and grew our book of business.
Read more:
So, we put the question to you: What is your superpower?
We wanted to innovate the way benefit brokers communicate and discover new ways to keep connected with our community, so we used our story and took full advantage of traditional and social media. In 2019, we founded BenefitsTV, to make benefits more approachable, delivering casual yet professional videos for our industry. Recently, we converted BenefitsTV to a podcast, which has expanded our ability to communicate our message. Likewise, we regularly publish educational articles, seek out interview opportunities to talk about our process, and speak at functions in the community.
Your brand should reflect who you are
Think about what aspects of your work set you apart and ask yourself: how you might use that to your advantage. Be authentic, and don't be afraid to take some calculated risks with your messaging and outreach. Finding and defining your own story and message is the key to making you stand out and get seen. It may not always feel easy. As we mentioned, our style met some resistance as we pushed outside of the traditional benefits box, but it has paid off.
Read more:
The good news is that our industry is at a tipping point right now, merging the old and new guard; our objective has always been to honor the proven traditions in our industry while presenting fresh new perspectives that the current climate demands. You can do this too. Staying true to who you are and finding the right ways to express what's important to you, you can create a brand that becomes known in the industry, one that reflects you and more importantly why you are different.
Take control of your story!
Not everyone is intentional with their branding. It's so much more than a marketing buzzword, but a strategic tool that can drive business and investment in a company or individual's long-term growth. Your brand once defined will represent your differentiation, build trust in your message, create connections, support marketing efforts, help you create recognition, and ultimately increase your business.
