‘A rebrand is more than just a fresh coat of paint; it’s achieving that wholeness, that cohesion that all business owners crave so desperately.’
– J.Nichole Smith
Achieving Total Brand Cohesion
In your zone of genius, what topic do folks bring up again and again?
I’m not talking about others in your field per se, more so those outsiders who can’t help putting their two cents in.
This phenomenon is the reason I swore off wedding photography for life. Someone’s uncle is always going to try to mansplain landscape photography to me between toasts.
But in my other fields of interest, I’m WAY more intrigued. I could talk about color theory or branding for hours on end.
And in branding, there’s one topic that’s near-constant – cohesion.
That’s the real juice.
What is cohesion, you ask?
Oxford Dictionary defines cohesion as “the action or fact of forming a united whole.” In your business, you can use this definition literally.
It’s that gold standard where every aspect of your brand lines up. It’s tidy. It’s predictable. Nothing is missing.
Cohesion in:
- Ideas
- Expectations
- Visuals
- Color
- Copy
- Pricing
- First impressions
- Online and in-person experiences
Finding harmony between every piece of your brand is one of the most powerful changes you can make. Because at its core, cohesion is a highly emotional experience.
When we experience cohesion we viscerally feel it; we get that high-vibration feeling, full of joy, synergy, and synchronicity.
Cohesion gives your brand that extra X factor, the magnetic attraction that most brands only dream of.
Sold yet?
Either way, I’m going to show you how to do it!
5 Steps to Achieving Cohesion in Your Brand:
A rebrand is not just a fresh coat of paint; it’s getting down to the nitty-gritty details and finding harmony between all of your disparate pieces. I’ve broken it down into five, manageable chunks.
Step 1: Clarity
Clarity is that piece that so many business owners are craving because lacking it is so deeply uncomfortable. It’s also really easy to get stuck here, constantly searching for more and more clarity.
In my “Why Finding” sessions, this is the first concept we invest in. We peer at your business through the lens of the essential elements – why, who, what, where, and how. And in this order!
Don’t make the mistake of starting with the “what” before asking those first essential questions.
Step 2: The WHY
While technically part of the clarity process, I really want to emphasize the “why.” It’s possibly the most important step in this entire process.
Here, I want you to excavate for a purpose larger than yourself. Not money, or family, or proving something. Because when you connect your “why” to financial achievement, there’s nothing left to motivate you.
In my opinion, being of service to others is one of the most important things we can do in our lives; it activates our excitement and intrinsic motivation to do better.
Be incredibly clear in your bigger purpose and put it at the core of your brand values. This will become your lightning rod of messaging, helping consumers recognize you as more than just another company.
Step 3: Making Strategic Choices
When working on a rebrand, my team has a clear, strategic approach with an outcome already in mind.
There’s no guessing or hoping. Nothing is left to chance.
This step tends to cause the biggest growing pains, because you may need to set aside some personal preferences. Sometimes, the things that we like aren’t necessarily aligned with the things we would like to achieve.
A perfect example is using The Color Brand Method; my strategy uses applied color psychology in collaboration with branding and personality types to streamline your color choices.
Here, we drop preferences for the moment and choose colors that activate key emotions. For example, there’s a huge difference between colors that make us feel warm and safe and those that make us feel stimulated.
You need to settle on the goal feeling, not your favorite colors.
Let go, focus on harmony, and let those realities drive your decision-making. It can be scary, but that’s the harmony at work.
Step 4: Authenticity
Ok, yes the word authenticity is way played out. But that doesn’t make it any less powerful.
When I was getting my masters in marketing, my very favorite class was marketing strategy. This is where I got to geek out about RBV, or resource-based value.
In simple terms, this means understanding your unique skills and leveraging those resources to become harder to compete with.
You don’t copy. You look at what you’ve got and transform that into your superpower.
This step is all about sharing the real:
- The real company
- The real origin story
- The real product
- The real YOU
Authenticity like this can’t be replicated. Competition will struggle to keep up while you’re busy keeping it real.
Step 5: Repetition
If you’ve studied any kind of marketing, you know how important repetition is for creating a positive affinity. Not only is it one of the most important steps in this process, but it’s also the most overlooked.
If you’re neurodivergent or constantly jumping from idea to idea, this step can be tricky (guilty as charged).
But all is not lost! Having tools and assets for you and your team to streamline repetition is incredibly useful. Brand guidelines can include:
- Fonts
- Colors
- Imagery
- Brand voice
- Logos
- Templates
These set standards unlock this unbelievable confidence in your brand. Not only is it easy for you to replicate your work, but you can feel better about delegating tasks to your team members.
When you keep doing, saying, and being the same thing over and over again… that’s when you get to reap all of the rewards of what a preferred brand could and should be.
Ready to DIY your Rebrand?
It’s a journey… and I’ve got your back.
Check out my brand spanking new, FREE rebrand tools. Yup, this workshop is totally free (I’m practically a martyr, no?).
But really, I just want to support you in making this happen.
My “why” in this world is to help create a joy first world. In my eyes, it’s the answer to so much of the suffering I see in the world. This offering is just a small step towards worldwide joy.
So, spread the love, folks!
