Brand gazing

Chances are, if I were to ask you what big brands are all about you could tell me. Zappos’ customer service mantra, Walmart’s continuing march to lower prices, Apple’s dominating the world one iPad at a time, Virgin’s putting people into space. It’s pretty easy to get distracted by what other brands, especially big brands, are saying and doing.

• What do they stand for?
• How are they positioning themselves this time?
• How do we stack up against them?
• How can we be more like them?

Fed by unprecedented levels of information thanks to social media and ever increasing coverage by traditional media, it’s never been easier to practice a bit (or a lot) of brand gazing.

And while there is some value in taking the environment around you into consideration, just imagine the extra value you could build for your own brand if you were to take the lion’s share of that brand gazing time and focus it on your own brand instead.

• What do you stand for?
• What is your positioning?
• How do they stack up against you?
• How can you be more like you?

Brand gazing is a bit like navel gazing – nice to indulge in now and then. Just don’t let yourself get too carried away, lest you find yourself consciously or subconsciously trying to mimic what others are doing instead of building your own brand with a deep understanding about the promises you can keep, not the promises others are making.

See you next week.

Michel Hogan is a Brand Advocate. Through her work with Brandology here in Australia and in the United States, she helps organisations recognise who they are and align that with what they do and say, to build more authentic and sustainable brands. She also publishes the Brand thought leadership blog – Brand Alignment. is a Brand Advocate. Through her work with Brandology here in Australia and in the United States, she helps organisations recognise who they are and align that with what they do and say, to build more authentic and sustainable brands. She also publishes the Brand thought leadership blog – Brand Alignment.