Revolutionize Your Business

As a small business branding consultant, one aspect of the art and science of branding that has often threatened to derail many of my clients before we even got started was, believe it or not, the term itself: branding. It's a term that turns off many businesses and intimidates them-especially smaller organizations and nonprofits-because it seems to suggest the marketing mumbo jumbo of corporate giants or deep-pocketed institutions with strong marketplace equity. But regardless of the size of your business, in your daily work-whether you're aware of it or not-you are either growing the reputation of your business or chipping away at it. That's because everything you do-everything you say, the way in which you say it, the messages and images that are expressed in your marketing and communications, the way you answer the phone, the words on your business card, the manner in which you resolve a problem for a customer (or don't)-either define your organization's character or perpetuate its fuzziness. That's branding. So I took it as a challenge then, to develop a new metaphor for branding-one that I could use to describe the principles of branding without using the word branding itself-a concept and construct that I could use in my work with small business clients. I call it Shadowcasting. The Shadowcasting Analogy Shadowcasting in the business world uses the same components that make shadows in the physical world. Let's look at each element and how they collectively build the metaphor that will help you grow your reputation-and grow your business. The Sun (the light source) is your core market. Imagine that your customers and supporters are your primary light source. The intensity of their radiance will depend on the depth of your relationship with them and the relevance your offerings present to them. These are your customers, subscribers, clients, supporters, shareholders, donors, or members. Through their engagement with your business-their satisfaction, participation, affiliation, and word-of-mouth-your core market collectively illuminates your character. The tree (the object) is the character of your organization-its reality. Picture a tree with roots, a trunk, branches, and leaves. Just as a strong, healthy tree is upright and stable, so are strong, healthy businesses. They have character, vision, personality, and longevity. The tree represents the tangible attributes of your business-your employees, your offerings, products or services, assets, board members, your headquarters building, programs, your marketing materials, advertising, and all its other real and touchable traits. yellowchords yellowchords yellowchords yellowchords yellowchords yellowchords yellowchords yellowchords yellowchords yellowchords yellowchords yellowchords yellowchords yellowchords yellowchords yellowchords yellowchords yellowchords yellowchords yellowchords yellowchords yellowchords yellowchords yellowchords yellowchords yellowchords yellowchords yellowchords yellowchords yellowchords yellowchords yellowchords yellowchords yellowchords yellowchords yellowchords yellowchords yellowchords yellowchords yellowchords yellowchords yellowchords yellowchords yellowchords yellowchords yellowchords yellowchords yellowchords yellowchords yellowchords yellowchords yellowchords yellowchords yellowchords yellowchords yellowchords yellowchords yellowchords yellowchords yellowchords yellowchords yellowchords yellowchords yellowchords yellowchords yellowchords yellowchords yellowchords yellowchords yellowchords yellowchords yellowchords yellowchords yellowchords yellowchords yellowchords yellowchords yellowchords yellowchords yellowchords Your goal is to have a "solid" business rather than a "transparent" one. When people speak of someone's character as being transparent, they usually mean that you can "see right through them." A transparent character is not desirable in the world of Shadowcasting, because a transparent object does not cast a shadow. A solid character, however, creates and reinforces the prospect's impression of your business and its core values-what it stands for. With a deep-rooted, respectable, and credible character, Shadowcasting will play an influential role in your company's ability to attract, engage, and retain lifelong customers and to drive loyalty, foster trust, and cultivate relationships in the pursuit of revenue...and profits. Your light source illuminates your company's character and casts a shadow onto the ground (the marketplace) for prospects to see and to experience. This is the perception the public holds of your organization. It may look like a slightly softer, somewhat vague image of your business, but your shadow-your reputation-is not your business. It's just a projection or proxy of how your customers see you and how their influence will permit others to see you. While you might not have direct control over how your customers affect your reputation, you do have the power to make changes and adjustments to your character and develop positive relationships with your core market to ultimately manage how the marketplace perceives your reputation. Your character-and the resulting shadow it casts of your reputation into the marketplace-identifies and differentiates your business in the minds of your potential customers. It also helps you stand out from competitors who may look similar on the surface of the marketplace. "If the tree is straight it need not fear casting a crooked shadow." -Chinese Proverb Shadowcasting Law #1: Even a sapling casts a shadow You do not have to be a redwood or a towering oak to cast a shadow. Even a sapling-heck, even a blade of grass-casts a shadow. Whether your business is big or small, Shadowcasting is a practice you must engage in for survival and growth. Don't buy into the deceit that Shadowcasting is only for big multinational companies. It's for every business. That's because whether you have one customer or one million, your business is still subject to the laws of shadow science. Your core market-of one or one million-will illuminate your character and cast a shadow of your character into the marketplace for others to see. So the question isn't, Will your company cast a shadow? it's, Will your company cast an accurate representation of your true character? Shadowcasting Law #2: Without a light source, we would not have shadows A business without customers isn't a business. It's a hobby. As you know, a light source is one of the three components that must exist in order to create a shadow. Without your core market-your loyal customers and supporters-supplying the sunlight, your reputation cannot be known in the marketplace (except through "artificial light"-marketing and advertising). You are dependent on your core market to illuminate your character and "show" others-prospects and potential supporters-your virtue and your value. That's why you want to always portray a solid character-one that casts a strong, accurate, and focused shadow. Think of it this way: If your customers are behind you, your shadow will be seen in front of you. When that happens, your reputation will precede you. Shadowcasting Law #3: Obscuring your light source will make an ambiguous shadow-or even eliminate it Muddled messages, confusing images, schizophrenic voice and tone. These and other common marketing mistakes can block or obscure the illumination of your core markets and thwart Shadowcasting. Focused light casts a more clearly defined shadow. And so do focused businesses. If low, dark clouds are obscuring the sunlight of your core market from shining on your character and casting your reputation into the marketplace, you could have a focus problem. Focus starts with discovering what your business does well-really well-and different from the competition. Then, determine how you will make this competency a unique, compelling, and relevant point of differentiation.