Acom Healthcare

When it comes to brand building, perspective is paramount. The question is whose perspective. For better or worse we all view the world through the lens of our own likes and dislikes. The best brand builders, however, have the uncanny chameleon-like ability to adopt the mindset of their prospective customers. It’s commonplace in consumer branding and equally essential within healthcare.
It’s not as easy or intuitive as you would like to think. We all carry visceral and immediate responses toward specific words, key messages, imagery and colors. Many times there’s no right or wrong with these associations, but what matters is to what extent you let these personal views inform your branding and communication decisions.
The concept of objective branding is all about placing your focus on a set of parameters that are designed to minimize the subjective vantage point.

1. The Business Objective

What is your business trying to accomplish? What is the primary goal, and milestones that need to happen in order to be successful? Ultimately, what is the business proposition? What do you have to offer?

2. The Competitive Differentiator

What makes you distinct in the market and why does this differentiator matter? How has competition positioned itself and how does what you have to offer approach things differently? Advantageously? And what are the hurdles you need to overcome?

3. The Customer Value

What problem are you solving for your customers? How is your solution better than available alternatives? Why will customers value what you have to offer?

4. The Brand Core

Knowing your business objective, competitive differentiator and customer value should lead you to what is at the core of your brand. It should be a natural outgrowth of these key variables – a uniquely shaped solution to a distinct challenge or opportunity.

It’s not to say your experience does not hold value. It does. But this experience should be applied to the branding challenges at hand. It should fuel your ability to separate personal preferences from market opportunities and the chance to make your brand soar.

Stepping out from the shadow of our own preferences can be uncomfortable and necessitate risk. Remember to take a high level view and the particulars will follow. Branding is not about self-fulfilling prophecy, but instead creating a fulfilling brand experience objectively.