#10 - Find Your Brand's Humanity

Today I cover a topic that may cause some discomfort in the stomachs of perfectionist brand owners (but it's for your own good, I promise!) 😬

There was a time when social media came into this world, and we started curating our alter egos. We carefully crafted these perfect personas, living in perfect worlds, with the hope of being seen and building some status out of that.

One thing to keep in mind is that brands follow the individual behavior. (Maybe because brands are made up of people? 🤔 Well, who would have thought.)

So, guess what happens when "everyone in the world" is crafting a perfect public persona, living in a "perfect world," but secretly, in the hidden corners of our homes, "everyone in the world" is suffering from one reason or another and is very aware that the world is anything but perfect?

What happens is that we start to disconnect from anything that looks "perfect."

We know that's fake. We know that it's not true. It doesn't resonate, it doesn't relate, and it doesn't tell anything about our "me" (the audience).

6 years ago, the top accounts on Instagram were of people posing like Greek statues in dreamy landscapes and fancy hotels. Today, the accounts that reach millions are those that can portray real life and real feelings.

Today, I want to challenge you with an idea: instead of putting your brand's "look and feel" on a pedestal, what about putting its voice on a pedestal?

The voice I mean is not your "tone of voice," but the voice of your people: real people..

Let give it a closer look.

Changing how you see your business changes everything.

Where is your brand humanity?

How does this question help you?

1. It helps your brand connect and resonate with the people you want to vibe with.

2. It helps you build a community or fan base around what you're doing.

3. It helps build your brand on solid ground for sustainable success.

Let’s discover your answer by breaking down the question:

Part 1: Humanity

Understand "humanity" here as something we can relate to as humans: thoughts, emotions, feelings, and desires.

See "humanity" here as something that is common to most people in your universe. Something that makes them say "this could be me" or "I've seen this before in other people." That something that is sometimes left unspoken or is ordinary.

Don't be afraid of the ordinary.

The unspoken thoughts, the awkward situations, the struggles, the flaws, and the silly jokes.

Part 2: Where?

Where in your brand touchpoints, content, and experience can we find it?

So the real question we're trying to answer is the question your audience secretly asks:

"Where can I see that your brand is for people like me?"

Let's look at some examples of what this means.

3 Examples in 1

Here’s is the instagram feed of 3 big brands our there: Lululemon, Nike women and Asos.

Notice one thing: there is NO “look and feel”.

Notice second thing: there is PEOPLE everyone, REAL people. Doing real world stuff, in real context accessible to the most of us.

There's another thing you can't tell just by looking at their feed: their voice.

On the surface, most of the content in all three accounts includes:

• Showing/talking about the product in real-life situations

• Tips and tricks

• Telling people's stories who stand for the same values as the brand

• Using trends to communicate real feelings with video memes (e.g. the POV meme)

• Photos of the product in a real scenario

• Community events/ambassadors

• Community-generated content

• Relevant topics important to each universe: self-care (lululemon), mental health (nike), self-esteem (asos).

Their feeds may look similar from the outside, but each voice is unique.

Times have changed. We want to see and engage with people like ourselves.

I am not personally a big fan of using big brands as examples because rarely does a small-medium business have the same resources to apply the same systems or logic. But in this case, they are VERY RELEVANT as examples.

Their content is inexpensive. Not because it isn't good, but because it can be made with any phone in hand. They have a voice that is not made in a studio, but the voice of the person on the other end using the product.

These brands couldn't survive using the same perfectly crafted utopian universe, so why do you think your brand can?

Long live the people.

Now, it’s your turn…

Action step

👉 Set aside 20 min to work on your version of this prompt to get the clarity you need to set your business for authentic growth.

“What in your brand (touch points/content/marketing) helps people stay interested and feel that your brand is for people like them?”

Just like last week, I recommend using this prompt to audit your channels and brand touch points. You’re about to learn something about your brand.

Warmly,

Nathalia Montenegro

P.S : Ready to find out exactly what you need to do next to grow your business?

Here's how I can help:

• If you haven't yet - connect with me on Linkedin or Instagram to get weekly insights on uncovering your unique brand story and growing your business.

• Looking for guidance to reposition, realign or consolidate your brand & business? Book a complementary clarity call with me here.

PS.2: New here? Read the previous issues of this newsletter here.