Sometimes in positioning (of a brand) the most foundational basics of business require a decision, a choice, a stake in the ground.

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The more the world changes the more the design of National Geographic stays the same.

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Looks like Blockbuster is about to join the ranks of American Apparel. With their stock delisted from the NYSE, they are edging even closer to a possible bankruptcy. Would anyone have thought this was possible ten years ago? And by newcomers Netflix and Apple, no less.

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American Apparel had two options: remain a niche brand with a rich, volatile personality or become a successful, global alternative brand. It tried to do both and failed.

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Last week we wrapped up another Brand Camp retreat for 5 small businesses.

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Beauty is only skin deep. Unless you understand the substance behind it all. Most companies fall into the trap of focusing to much on the skin and not enough on the DNA. The best identity design processes usually follows this basic model: The DNA, The Skeleton, and The Skin.

1. The DNA is the set of foundational truths in which your company stands on.

What, at the core, does your company do? What does it not do? Why does it exist (beyond making a profit)?  Where is it going? What is the big idea the brand stands on? These are the foundational elements that should shape and form your culture and customer experience.  This is your courageous stake in the ground. This is where great identities are truly born- not always in the head of a designer.

2. The Skeleton is the internal alignment that shapes your internal culture.

What is your big idea? Refresh the world? Organize the world's information? The low-cost airfare provider? Defining a rally cry, and constantly championing it, brings focus to the hard-boned structure of an organization, and that internal skeleton (your culture) inevitably shapes the external world, the skin.

3. The Skin is the tangible external surface that shapes and determines people's perceptions.

A direct result of the DNA and skeleton, the skin is your company's face. The challenge is to design a flag that people get excited about and rally behind. Not just a logo, but a consistent and engaging customer experience, from first touch to last, that declares why you are different.

The temptation for most companies is to skip straight to the skin, missing the heart behind it all, and trying to form a beauty that is only skin deep.

A big thanks to Jeremie Kubicek who developed this model and inspired this blog.

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People desire to be moved by a cause, a story, or a product. We all want something to champion- a candy (like Mike and Ike's- yum!), a new album, a new app- whatever, as long we feel an emotional connection. Shouldn't this be the goal of every brand? Here are two simple ways to better leverage this for your business.

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In the world of design, sometimes remembering who the design is for can get blurry in the process.

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"From field hands to songwriters, from builders to artists, from San Francisco, California to Florence, Alabama, the American worker inspires and endures."

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