Finding your voice

For awhile now we've all been on a mission to find our 'why'– in the work we do, in designing systems, campaigns, brands, or products. We've used a model that places why at the centre, following the lead of Simon Sinek when he introduced the Golden Circle concept in his TedTalk over a decade ago. Displayed as a target, we've been aiming at 'why'. If I'm talking with clients about designing an identity or writing marketing messages, benefit to the audience, aka 'why' is always front and centre.

But where is 'who' in this model?

You know what you do as an organisation – your service, product and unique selling proposition (USP). You know how you do business and why.

Now ask yourself, how often to you focus on 'who'?

This is two fold:

1. Who are you? The persona behind your brand and the values you operate by.

2. Who do you exist for? Understanding your audience and their needs, likes and dislikes.

A great brand is one that aligns their organisation’s vision with their customers’ experience. By understanding who1 and who2, a great brand is enabled and empowered to speak in an authentic voice, sharing a story that brings people together and keeps them engaged. Like a great coffee catch up with a friend, the engagement is comfortable, familiar and matters discussed are relevant, because both people know well, who they are and who they are speaking with. An organisation's communication with their audience can be much the same if you turn up dressed right (brand identity), with something of value to share (product/service) and tell your story in a way that resonates with your audience (brand story). All of this rests on cracking your 'who'.

Your values underpin business decision making, operations and output. Values say a lot about 'who' you are. Drill deep enough and you will gain competitive advantage by answering your why, defining your values and make sure your purpose is clearly articulated in internal as well as external communications.

If you're interested in gaining actionable insights and clearly defining your brand objectives, get in touch. Being strategic with your brand feels like a great pair of jeans and saves you having to scream from the top of a building to be heard. Remember to ask WHO as well as WHY?