You scored as a
Rising to Radically Relevant brand.

(001)

Although your brand offerings are pretty clear to most–do you sometimes feel like certain audiences don’t get you? Or like some of your services or products are an afterthought in their minds? Your clarity score suggests you have an average baseline of clarity, but there could be room for improvement. It may indicate complicated relationships between your sub-brands or products, or perhaps you’ve expanded your offerings beyond the core you’re known for.

Action Items:

• Look at your noun–how do you describe your business or category? Don’t sacrifice clarity on the altar of distinction. Is there an opportunity to add more clarity by how you describe the organization?
• Review your brand’s visuals and messaging. Does it connect with modern audience’s needs and understanding of your service?
• Sketch out your current brand architecture. Are the relationships between your sub-brands or products creating more confusion than clarity? Hint: Don’t brand your org chart.

(002)

You’re doing ok here, but opportunity awaits. This distinction score suggests your brand may be expressing a differentiated offering, look and feel, or message, but not enough to confidently stay ahead of competitors or market trends in your category. Truly standing out in your competitive set can give you numerous advantages.

Action Items:

• Revisit your brand’s position in the market. Does your position support the needs and challenges of your audience today? Is it future-proofed enough to keep you ahead of your competitors?
• Consider developing a brand system that is so distinct that competitors won’t be able to easily duplicate you. For example–if most in our space use cheesy stock imagery, maybe you should invest in a custom photoshoot or hire an illustrator to create a new style that is more ownable.

(003)

Your control score suggests your brand might be semi-consistent in your brand communications, but lacks the brand system tools to maintain consistency without draining your teams. For example, you may be inconsistent with your use of color, type, and photography, and your team struggles with brand voice without heavy direction. This can result in an inefficient internal brand process, duplicate work, creative frustration, and general wheel spinning.

Action Items:

• Take a look at your brand toolkit–do you have what your marketing teams need to create consistent communications? Or are they limited by an outdated or shallow brand system?
• Consider how you manage your brand. Do you have a role that can act as brand quality control?

(004)

You’re on the right path, but you might be leaving some opportunity on the table. Your attraction score suggests the brand is connecting with some audiences, but perhaps is less appealing to new or growing audiences. This could be due to an outdated message and look, or simply one that isn’t speaking to the full value you provide. These types of brands are often legacy organizations that have long relied on relationships and word-of-mouth for new businesses, or industries that have experienced a shift in audiences' mindsets.

Action Items:

• Do audience research to understand better what your audience wants or needs. Then retool your brand accordingly.
• Revisit your brand’s value proposition–is your message relevant and aligned?
• Audit your brand touchpoints and materials. Does it speak to only one of our audiences? Who might feel left out of the conversation?

(005)

Well done, your devotion score is well-earned! Your devotion score suggests your brand provides a valuable experience that keeps audiences engaged and coming back. High-devotion brands consistently deliver on their customers’ expectations, having successfully operationalized their brand positioning throughout the organization. As a result of devotion, these beloved brands often enjoy the privilege of premium pricing.

Keep it up! And don’t forget:

• Keep a pulse on audience shifts–new audiences might have different expectations that could put your overall brand devotion at risk.
• Keep customer devotion top of mind when considering the impacts of any brand refresh.

(006)

Does your team believe in your brand? Do you struggle to get buy-in from leadership on the benefits of a strong brand? Your alignment score suggests a lack of internal alignment around the story the brand should tell in the market—or a lack of emotional connection to the brand internally. Low-alignment brands often suffer from challenges in recruiting talent, and struggle to maintain important stakeholder engagement.

Action Items:

• Take a look at your brand toolkit–do you have a clear internal brand strategy? Does it feel like a memorable rally cry for your team?
• Gain an understanding of your team’s perception of the brand. Is there an opportunity to align your brand with what lights their fire?