Building a Brand

Branding gets misunderstood a lot. Most people hear “brand” and immediately think about logo, colours, maybe a website. Those things matter, but they’re not really the point.

At its core, branding is much simpler than that. It’s what people remember about you and how you make them feel. It’s also what they say about you when you’re not in the room.

You don’t need to appeal to everyone

One of the more useful ways to think about branding is this idea of “your vibe attracts your tribe.”

If what you’re doing appeals to everyone, it usually means it’s not strong enough to stand out to anyone.

The example of heavy metal bands is a good one. You don’t need to explain the brand; the right people instantly get it, and everyone else moves on. That’s the whole point, because you’re not trying to convince everyone to like you. You’re trying to be clear enough that the right people recognise you quickly.

Simplicity is what makes things stick

One of the common mistakes with branding is trying to do too much. There are too many ideas, messages or complexities, but the brands people remember tend to be much simpler.

All you need is a clear message, a recognisable look and something you can keep consistent. If people can’t quickly understand or remember it, it’s not doing its job.

The businesses that stand out do something different

Standing out doesn’t always mean you have to be louder or more extreme. Sometimes it’s just about doing something slightly different, but doing it consistently. The example of the plumber who changed his uniform and experience is a good one. If you haven’t heard this story before, it’s worth understanding.

One of the simplest examples of branding done well is what we refer to as the “tuxedo plumber.” On paper, there’s nothing particularly different about what they do. They’re still fixing pipes. They’re still doing the same work as every other plumber in the market, but the experience is completely different.

The story goes that this plumber once turned up to quote a job straight from a wedding, still wearing a tuxedo. It wasn’t intentional, just a timing thing. But the client loved it, and it stood out.

Then later, when they turned up to another job in normal workwear, the client was actually disappointed. They were expecting the tux. It was something people remembered, something they talked about, and something they started to expect.

Because when someone asks, “Do you know a plumber?”, they’re not just recalling a name. They’re remembering “the one that showed up in a tuxedo.”

That’s branding.

It takes something that is normally commoditised, where people compare purely on price, and turns it into something distinctive. It then shifts the conversation away from “how much?” to “who do I want to work with?”

At the end of the day, branding is emotional. People don’t remember every detail of what you said or did. They remember how easy it was to deal with you, and how you made them feel.

Your brand needs to mean something

The strongest brands aren’t just recognisable, they stand for something. They have a clear position, so it’s not just about what they do but how they do it and why it matters. That’s what people would rather connect with.

Please don’t get caught up in trying to look better than everyone else. All you need to do is be clear, consistent and different enough that the right people remember you. Once people remember you and have a good experience, you’re no longer competing on price; you’re competing on preference.