Originally posted on https://www.imagehaus.net/thinking-through-your-brand-behavior-chain/
Neuroscientist I am not, but this I do know to be true. Every communication and interaction you have with your customer is a trigger. Triggers produce ideas in their brains that we call thoughts. Thoughts are great, but if not managed correctly with the right triggers, over time your customer may get confused and even irritated. After all, a person’s thoughts lead them to action.
One of the toughest obstacles in brand building is information overload we call noise. This noise is designed to create thought distortions. So, how does your brand rise above this noise?
Here’s a thought that can lead you to action. See what I did there? Long-term and short-term strategies for your brand work the same way as long-term and short-term goals. Having short-term goals align with your long-term goal helps you reach your long-term goal faster and more effectively.
Now, if only there was a SMARTer way to achieve your brand goals. I sense an acronym coming on.
Specific: Define your brand’s single thought by pinpointing your distinctive differences and the desired customer response for each difference.
Measurable: What does success look like?
Attainable: How will your goals be accomplished?
Relevant: Are your long-term and short-term goals aligned and relevant to your customer?
Time: Be conscious of the timing on how your long-term and short-term brand goals work together.
This is the SMART way to set goals that build a strong brand over time, while still being effective in your short-term strategies.
Fact: Smart goals are scientifically-proven to help you set and achieve goals.
Typically, short-term goals should be achieved in 6 months to a year while long-term goals can take 30 years. Setting several consecutive short-term goals helps you achieve your long-term brand goals.
At IMAGEHAUS, we use a proven brand DNA process that is effective in its simplicity. Through a collaborative approach, we help you establish short-term goals to reach your long-term goals, which all connect to your single thought.
That single thought is what makes you stand out from the competition. Your short-term goals then become an orchestrated series of triggers (or communications) that create specific customer thoughts (or responses). Those thoughts drive them to action, which fuels your long-term goals.
It’s the Brand Behavior Chain at its best. It’s not easy. It takes digging and thinking, but when it all comes together… it works like magic.