Evaluate Your Brand

I'd like to work on a quick exercise today that focuses on branding.

To begin, grab a piece of paper and pen, and write down five things that describe your company. Family-owned and operated? Customer service-focused? Lennox Premier Dealer?

Now, write down five things that describe your website. Is it welcoming? How about professional?

And finally, write down five things that describe your social media channels as a whole.

Now you should have 15 phrases written down. What do you think of the 15 phrases written on your paper?

While the adjectives come from different aspects of your company, the truth is they all represent your brand and your presence within your community - both online and in person.

Once you've completed this exercise, execute the following three steps:

• Repeat this exercise with your fellow managers and see what adjectives or phrases they come up with to get additional input on how your company is perceived.
• Highlight the problem areas or areas for improvement and create an action plan for successfully updating or making positive changes to your brand.
• Appoint task managers for execution of the action plan to ensure accountability. 

Think of monitoring your brand like swimming, you don't just jump right into the deep end, you usually stick your toe in the water to test the temperature. Let this simple exercise serve as dipping your toe in the waters of evaluating and reflecting upon your brand and presence with your customers.

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