May is Golf Month! To celebrate, we’re looking at ways to help your Brand On Par.
In branding, like perfecting a golf handicap, alignment and consistency are paramount. Achieving a great golf handicap is extremely challenging and requires dedication to practice.
A great brand handicap means that you’re consistently scoring better than every other player on the course.
It takes time to build something great. Just like when you hire the golf pro in the spring to sharpen your golf skills for the course, this blog will act as a guide to improve your company branding.
Here are five tips to help produce birdies for your company’s brand and not bogeys.
Tee Off with a Solid Brand Identity
Every golfer who wants to improve their game invests in the foundational skill of golf: your swing. Your brand identity’s foundation is your brand’s DNA, where everyone can see it: your Brand Blueprint.
A professional, iconic logo is the face of your business. It’s the first visual impression of you at the tee-off. It’s too crucial to take lightly with just any graphic designer. Your logo is the foundation of your brand style, color pallet, and design approach. Take pride in your brand. Not sure how your logo measures up to other players on the course? Check out the logo mirror here.
When amateur golfers work with a pro at the beginning of their venture into the sport, they avoid those frustrating habits that hinder their swing. Hire a branding pro to get your brand ready.
Drive Consistent Brand Messaging
Your business is communicating a message – whether it is planned or not. Building consistent messaging and driving it throughout every aspect of your company is essential.
A unique, compelling, consistent brand message attracts your ideal customers and the talent you need to serve them. Make your brand messaging clear, persuasive, and repeatable.
Brand messaging reinforces your company’s brand identity. Your brand message is like currency; it’s worth something. How are you creating your message, and how will you “spend it?”
“Putt” Your Brand Personality On Display
All eyes have been on the world’s number-one golfer recently: Scottie Scheffler. With 4 recent wins, one of which was this year’s Master’s tournament and the birth of his son, Scottie is winning hearts across the golfing community.
Scheffler may not be as flashy as Rickie Fowler was when his PUMA wardrobe resembled an orange creamsicle, but he doesn’t have to be because he has Nike… or does Nike have Scottie? For decades, Nike has teamed up with the world’s best athletes, a tradition that continues today. How many iconic photos of Tiger do we see the Nike logo? For me, Nike is synonymous with golf-greatness.
Nike has strategically placed its brand on display, getting hours of coverage every time Scottie is viewed on media. Also to note, their recent move to add the Nike swoosh to the back right shoulder of their polos is brilliant. When looking at the typical golf action shot at the end of a golfer’s swing, the Nike logo will be clear as day to viewers!
In branding, defining your brand’s personality will create a lasting impression. Determine whether your brand is playful, professional, innovative, or traditional, and infuse that personality into your brand’s visual elements, tone of voice, and overall brand experience.
Drive Engagement Through Storytelling:
Professional golf has several exceptional golfers, but what makes Tiger Woods so unique? It’s his story – and it wasn’t all good. As a child prodigy shooting 48 over nine holes at just three years old, Tiger seemed destined for greatness. Turning pro at 21, he achieved the most coveted win for the first time: The Masters. Two months later, he was named number one in the world, and three years later, he accomplished his career Grand Slam.
In 2009, everything came to a screeching halt when the scandal hit. Woods announced his indefinite break from golf, ultimately returning a year later in 2010. After experiencing 11 years of a winning drought, Tiger would achieve one of the most significant comeback victories, winning his fifth Masters.
Although he lost fans over the scandal, his story and comeback still significantly impacted the game of golf. His name is synonymous with the sport. Your brand has a story as well. Even if your brand takes a hit, you can change it and produce a remarkable comeback that connects with your audience.
When you’re telling your brand story, remember to keep your customer at the center: they are the hero of your business.
Ace Your Social Media Game
Imagine having the opportunity to play the Masters and then not show up. That’s what too many companies are doing with social media. Your social media accounts have the potential to be your 24/7/365 tradeshow exhibit.
Create a solid social media presence. As young millennials and Gen Zs enter the workplace, social media is becoming more relevant for attracting talent. Checking out a company’s social media pages is one of the first steps candidates take when researching a potential employer. How is your company presenting itself online?
If your company has not ventured onto social media, consider this the push to do it. We get it; it can be intimidating if it’s new to your marketing portfolio. Don’t be ashamed of that, either. An astonishing number of business-to-business companies have not invested in their online presence.
Golf Pro, Phil Mickelson, challenges all of us: “A great shot is when you pull it off. A smart shot is when you don’t have the guts to try it.” Get the guts to put your company online.
Start somewhere.
Building a great brand is a long game. Like becoming a good golfer, it takes work, learning, practicing, trying, failing, and getting back up with consistent persistence. No one just decides to pick up the game of golf and go pro that year. Every company has to start somewhere.
“Golf is the closest game to the game we call life. You get bad breaks from good shots, good breaks from bad shots – but you have to play where it lies.” — Bobby Jones
Business is a demanding but rewarding game. You have the potential to gain a remarkable advantage with a dynamic brand identity. Schedule the time in your slow season, work with a good professional, and get your brand identity in alignment. Your company has only one identity; make it a hole-in-one!
