Branding can feel a bit like that too. One language that lots of people use – but in different ways
Brand Purpose, especially, seems to have taken on the quality of Marmite. Some love it. Some hate it. A lot's been written about it.
For people like Simon Sinek, it's the 'why' – the core reason your brand exists beyond making profit. It's the best way of standing out from competitors because it focuses on long-term strategy and a very clear message. It creates a strong corporate culture with a clear vision for the brand’s long-term mission.
For others like writer Nick Asbury, it's more of a 'why on earth?'. In his book 'The Road to Hell', he doesn't see the point of Brand Purpose at all. Worse, he contends that its increasing adoption in the business and advertising world following the financial crisis of 2008 has been both a distraction and a disaster.
Now, not every company has a brand purpose, but if you've got one do you know why and if it's doing you any good?
This is partly why we have launched our Brand Armour audit.
The Brand Armour audit helps companies understand the strength of their corporate brand at a particular moment – it tests the key pieces, identifies any vulnerabilities, and assesses how seamlessly the moving parts join up.
What you get in a practical, concise report is a snapshot of your company's performance across Purpose, Messaging, Identity, Authenticity, Consistency and Engagement. Each is defined by a set of key criteria which is used to to determine a score.
You will be able to identify which areas are performing stronger than others and where to focus your communications efforts in order to better project and protect your brand and defend your reputation.
When it comes to Purpose, it will help you answer questions like;
As part of our Brand Armour launch, we are offering companies the opportunity to choose two areas they feel will benefit from the audit. They can also request to be benchmarked against a competitor of their choice. We will conduct a complimentary assessment, together with a consultation to showcase our findings.
And when it comes to the full Brand Armour audit, all six areas will be assessed as well as additional competitor brands, giving companies an in-depth benchmark of the strength of their communications relative to their peers'.
Sophie-Marie Steenkamp, Invicomm's founder, says:
“Purpose is a hot topic but one thing is clear: if you're going to use it, there has to be a purpose to doing so. The Brand Armour Audit will help you understand what that is."
