Today we had a good conversation about finding "the core" of a brand. Its an extremely tough process, but monumentally crucial when building a strong identity. The Core of a brand is the most unique, most sticky, most undeniable truth that makes the brand truly remarkable. It's what the chief commander would tell his lieutenants to base all of their tactical decisions upon. Its the one thing you would save if your ship was sinking, house was burning, or hut was being swallowed by a gelatinous blob of liquid hot magma. A core message gives focus. Its allows you to deliver the most powerful punch in the most powerful way.

Actually discovering your "Core" is a laborious task. Every time you'll be tempted to squeeze at least three things into it (at least I know I am), but if you try to say three things at once you might as well not say anything, according "Made To Stick" by Chip and Dan Heath, the current book we are reading as a company. "This tendency to gravitate toward complexity is perpetually at war with the need to prioritize", Heath explains. He goes on to tell the story of Bill Clinton's 1992 Presidential run. It was a prime example of a breeding ground for decision angst, but somehow James Carville (aka ‘The Raggin' Cajun), the key political advisor, pulled it all together when he wrote "Its the economy, stupid" on the white board in his office for all the campaign workers to see. Such a simple statement, but it provided the core message for such a remarkable campaign success.

Three messages (or more) send too many confusing signals at someone; it gives them options. Those options cause questions, and those questions cause anxiety. Thus, that someone is like Scarlet O'Hare, gone with the wind.

Prioritizing is hard. What is critical and what is beneficial is sometimes gray. One process we decided to try today was listing out all your strengths and messages on a white board and systematically asking, "If the house was on fire, which one of these would I save?".

Give it a shot, you never know, it might just be the sprinkler you need for a ragging inferno.

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