Wave Your Brand Flag High And Proud

Remember when you were a kid and you had one of those flags on the back of your bike? It flew high above the back of your bike, on a whip rod. No matter how windy it was or how quickly you took a turn, the flag could be spotted all over the neighborhood.

I’m sure they were created to improve bike safety, but they quickly became the biker’s expression of self. You might be drawn to your favorite sports team or color. Other bikers went to cool designs or size. The bigger the flag the better.

And you didn’t fly a flag that didn’t fit you. No guy would be caught dead with a pink or Barbie flag. You knew, if he was on a bike with one of those flags – it was his sister’s bike! The flags were more than decoration. They were a declaration. “This is what I’m about.”

Part of what made them cool was that you could spot your friends from a far distance. You knew where they were and could decide if you wanted to join them or not.

Although we didn’t know it, we were learning some very important lessons about branding as we selected and flew our bike flags.

Your brand is your flag. No matter what kind of a storm your organization endures or how quickly you are changing directions – your flag is visible to everyone. Your employees, your customers, your potential customers. And they’re going to keep an eye on that flag. To see if it stays put.

If you just put on a superficial brand or make a declaration because it sounds good rather than because it’s genuine – the storms and curves will knock it down. People are going to know you aren’t on your own bike, so to speak.

But if your brand is authentic and built from the core of your company – it will be bolted firmly and no matter how bad the storm or how dramatic the shift in direction – the flag will stay put.

If your flag proves to be genuine, people will come to rely on it as a signal of what you’re all about. And just like we used to use our friends’ flags as kids, others will be able to identify you and your brand promise from a distance.

Your potential customers will be able to spot your brand and decide if they want to come to where you are. There’s no reason for them to engage with you if you’re flag is neon orange and they’re really more of a beige buyer.

For your customers, your brand flag reassures them that you’re honoring your brand. They can come to you with confidence, knowing that they’re going to get that consistent experience they’ve come to expect.

So as you think about your brand, remember that it is going to wave high over your organization. So choose your flag carefully.