“People will forget what you said. People will forget what you did. But people will never forget how you made them feel.” — Maya Angelou

A brand isn’t just a thing, it’s also a feeling. A feeling you build over time with each interaction your clients and customers have with your organization. So it’s important to be mindful in curating this experience across all of your communications. From high profile items that set the tone for your organization, like your logo design and website, to smaller interactions like email blasts and conversations on social media — they all are equally important in creating your brand image.

A brand is more than a logo. It must be backed up by words and actions that are meaningful and consistent.

I have a little bit of homework for you to help make sure you’re creating a cohesive brand experience.

1. Describe your brand in three words.
   If your brand was a person, how would you describe its personality to someone? These are your brand traits.

2. Create a brand playbook for your team outlining the voice and tone of your brand.
   This will help expand your brand traits into examples and actions for both visual and verbal communications.

3. Connect with your clients, customers, or members on an emotional level. 
   Care about the things that are important to them and reflect that in your communication. This will help build a relationship instead of a transactional interaction.

The next time you sit down to create a marketing piece, ask yourself, “What emotion do I want to evoke with my audience?” Try it. I bet you’ll think about the project a little bit differently.