Want an extraordinary brand? Get a unifying idea.

“Our logo is fine, but the language on our website needs some work.”

I hear this more than you’d probably guess.

What does this mean?

This could be a legitimate need to brush up the language, bringing it in line with the brand. In my experience, it’s not unusual for the language to get short shrift when an organization goes through the brand development process or a refresh.

But it could be a symptom of a more serious problem. A problem that can lead to confusion and conflicting messages for an organization. A problem that could hamstring the brand for years to come.

There is a simple way to find out.

What’s your unifying idea?

Great brands have a unifying idea that they return to time and time again to coalesce their efforts. This is a statement of the value you bring to those you hope to serve. In fact, at a functional level, it’s sometimes called your value proposition. It may also be referred to as your unique selling proposition (USP). These are statements that declare what you do that is unique and what it does for those you hope to serve.

Those that want to go further will clarify a statement that declares how the brand will make a difference in…