Brand Builder Mondays: Knowing Your Identity vs Image

Welcome back to another Brand Builder Mondays, CPR's latest blog series linked to "Thriving in a Recession." The Consultant Proficiency Resources Brand Builder series will provide brick-by-brick strategic tips for your success. For the second issue, the first issue for May, CPR explores aligning your brand identity with your brand image.

Think of your brand identity as the internal truth of who you are—your authentic self. Based on when you gained an understanding of your purpose and the authentic you, your core values and mission should reflect your improved version, including what you fundamentally stand for. It's the essence of who you are. On the other hand, consider your image, which is your brand image rooted in your digital footprint. Your brand image is your audience's external perception of you, thus your brand. It is shaped by your uploads, communication, visual or written, hidden or direct messaging, customer service, online presence, and every touchpoint your audience has with your brand, historical or current content.

According to CPR's eBook "Rags-2-Royalty," magic can occur when your brand identity and image align with your preferred state, which is defined as the person you are today. Remember, this process is about identifying and living your authentic self; some consider it the new and improved version that results in serene harmonic outcomes. When your actions consistently reflect your values, your messaging accurately conveys your mission, and your visual presentation embodies your personality, you build trust, credibility, and a loyal following. Over the next few weeks, within CPR's "Brand Builder Mondays" series, we'll explore

1- Defining Your Brand Identity from the Inside Out

2- Crafting a Brand Image that Resonates

3- Bridging the Gap: Ensuring Authentic Alignment

4- Auditing Your Current Alignment

Drawing from page five of "Rags-2-Royalty," Personal Brand Image vs. Personal Brand Identity, the greater exposure a person has on social media, the longer it takes to create sustainability with their new brand. This is also true for businesses. According to researchers, business leaders should seek to align organizational culture (OC) and personality with brand identity and image. This also signifies that, as the founder of the business, the organization's OC, likened to the owner's personality, must be aligned with the brand identity and image. This goes beyond color themes and promotional materials, it's about embedding branding into the organizational ethos that influences your policies, practice, partnerships, etc. For sustainability, the focus should be on internal branding, which is tied to the culture you, as the founder, set forth within your organization. It's about cultivating a workspace that best represents the improved version of yourself. Strategies must consider internal touchpoints like enhancing customer service deliverables. Employees, regardless of how small, must be cognizant of the steps that are being taken to level up and realign. Frontline staff are the vehicle that can more effectively drive the message to your customers. This means choosing the right employees or training employees to level up as you present the improved version of yourself.

Stick with Consultant Proficiency Resources, whether starting from scratch or looking to revitalize your existing brand. Join us each Monday for actionable insights and practical guidance inspired by the Consultant Proficiency Resources eBook "Rags-2-Royalty." It's time to lay the foundation for accurate brand alignment. The only question is, "Are You Ready to start building?" Let's get to work together.