Five Ways To Simplify Your Branding For More Impact, Ease and Space
After re-reading "Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less" by Greg McKeown – a book that advocates for focusing on what's truly important in our lives and eliminating distractions and non-essential activities, thus creating space for the things that truly matter – I was struck with how much his message resonated with me and how I can weave it into my business. After all, the Scenic Route approach is about working smarter, not harder.
I know how easy it is to blow our branding and business out of proportion only to be left totally overwhelmed (or worse, burned out (again)) and unable to see the core elements that matter most.
Having helped numerous clients as a rebranding expert and sociologist, I've witnessed firsthand how many feel bogged down and disconnected in their businesses at the start of our time together. And here’s the kicker, that’s regardless of profits and income! Your business can generate a solid income for you, and STILL, you might feel MEH, unhappy or burned out. Don't worry if this sounds like you; you're not alone.
As a rebranding expert and sociologist, I've worked with many clients who have felt the same way. And the key to finding more ease, space, and impact in their businesses has been simplifying their branding. Ok, so where to start?
Simple: Always start with the fundamentals and
Always take a step back first
That's why I always start with the basics – digging into their brand strategy. And I know from personal experience that simplifying your branding can make all the difference. It's how I've made a sustainable income in my business while juggling motherhood and chronic illness.
If you're ready to welcome more ease, space, and impact into your business, I have five steps to help. Let's get started.
Step 1: Start with a clear mission statement that makes you feel alive and that you have zero bullshit about
A mission statement is your brand’s North Star. It helps you stay focused on your goals and values – all the things that TRULY matter to you –and guides your business (branding, marketing, sales,…) decisions. Keep it short and sweet, and use verbs! A mission statement is something that makes you giddy with excitement and ready to take aligned action. So less nouns, and more verbs. And like in affirmation work, you must find a mission statement that your mind/ego has zero bullshit about. That way, you don’t even give your inner critic a chance to come rain on your parade.
Step 2: Define your brand personality
Your brand is you, but you're not your brand. So defining your brand personality is crucial to developing a successful brand strategy. Your brand personality is the human qualities and characteristics that define and differentiate your brand's identity. It's expressed through your entire brand identity (think messaging or visuals).
Clearly defining your brand personality creates consistent messaging for your target audience. This is essential to building a strong brand that resonates with your clients and fosters brand loyalty. If you want, you can use a model like the brand archetypes.
For example, if your brand personality is playful and lighthearted, your messaging and visuals must reflect that. Your copy and imagery should be fun, upbeat, whimsical, or quirky. This will help you appeal to an audience that values humour and entertainment.
By defining your brand personality, you can create a strong, consistent, cohesive brand identity for your audience. This will help you establish a loyal client base and set you up for sustainable, long-term success.
Step 3: Focus on the audience that pays you
Show real empathy. Your brand is about your clients (mostly), not you. Tailor your branding to their needs, desires and perceptions. This means cultivating a deep psychological and sociological understanding of your ideal clients. Remember that ideal clients = are the ones you love working with and who pay you. Don't focus on going viral and building massive audiences (for now).
Zoom in on understanding their pain points, desires, and behaviours and using that knowledge to create messaging and visuals that resonate with them.
Step 4: Keep your brand design elements simple
For example, choosing a colour palette is one of the most fun parts of branding, but it can also be overwhelming. Keep it simple by choosing four to six brand colours max. Then, use them consistently across your branding materials.
Make sure the colours in your brand colour palette:
complement each other
reflect your brand personality
work for digital and print media applications
are accessible to your audience (large contrast, good readability, background, legible for colour deficiencies,...)
If you're working with a brand designer or agency, ensure you or your team can work with the output. I've repeatedly seen clients receiving dashing-looking brand books but have no clue how to manage their brand design day in and day out. So regardless of how fancy it looks, can you work with the deliverables? If not, be mindful that you'll need continuous external support to live your brand. Another tip, don't try to be too clever about it. I love some good design easter eggs for the die-hards, but as a general rule: clear beats clever.
Step 5: Document your brand identity
A brand book or guideline is the best way to document your brand strategy, messaging and design elements. Your brand book is a reference point for anyone working with your brand. It ensures consistency across all your branding materials.
Having a brand guideline simplifies your branding by streamlining your decision-making process. It takes the guesswork out of branding and ensures your branding materials are always on-brand.
Your brand guideline doesn't have to be complex or overly detailed. Keep it simple and accessible, and ensure it's easy to follow. Find what works best for you: a Canva doc, a Notion board, a PDF... endless possibilities. I use Notion and Canva Pro to document everything. Notion is a game-changer in many regards!
Don't forget to update your brand book regularly as your brand evolves.
Remember, simplifying your brand rarely happens overnight. When you have clear intentions and direction, you can make it your reality.
See if these five steps can hold space for you to bring more impact, ease, and impact to your branding too. Less is more. Go for quality rather than quantity. Be the high-potency brand and not the diluted, watered-down everybody brand. Your high-potency brand attracts the perfect clients because they're coming to you for you. Trust the process and allow it to guide you.
Desire more support?
Looking to elevate your brand for more impact, ease and profit? You've come to the right place!
Let's team up and achieve your goals together. Schedule your complimentary 35-minute Curiosity Call. During this quick chat, we'll connect to see if we're a perfect fit human to human and how my services can best benefit your brand and business.
Ready to invite your most desirable brand yet? Book a chat now.
About the author
Meet Jen, your fellow wanderer on the Scenic Route to figuring out this gorgeous thing called life.
BA in Social Sciences and MA in Sociology? You bet.
Certified NLP and EFT practitioner? Check.
Fucked shit up a lot? Been there, didn’t even get a lousy t-shirt.
Empath and HSP? It’s all just peachy.
Jen’s professional background and personal experience make the secret sauce that adds depth to every conversation. She tunes into the frequencies most people skip over. She's on a heartfelt mission to support too-brilliant-to-not-shine humans moving from surviving to thriving.
Together with her clients, she dives deep into the chaos of being human, finding that sweet spot where vulnerability meets badassery to rediscover the thrill of living a life that's as beautifully complex as you are – flaws and all.
