Recruiting Session 2:

Hey guys, it’s Matt, and in this Recruiting Session, we’re going to talk about the most important question your company can ask itself: who are you? Or in other words, what’s your company identity or brand? If you’re wondering what that has to with It’s a Wonderful Life, just stick with me. It’ll all make sense before we’re done.

But let’s begin by defining brand, which is actually a little trickier than you might expect. Ask ten different authorities on the subject, and they’ll give you ten slightly different meanings.

Let’s start with a basic Google definition, and by the way, there’s a handy shortcut to do that. Just type “define” before the word you want to look up, and you’ll get Google’s dictionary entry.

So for Brand, it gives us two meanings. First, a type of product manufactured by a particular company under a particular name. As in, “a new brand of detergent.” And second, an identifying mark burned on livestock or (especially formerly) criminals or slaves with a branding iron.” Ouch.

Those are both helpful definitions, but that second one really gets to the original meaning and idea of the word–using a red-hot iron, literally a firebrand, to burn a mark of ownership onto property. When an old-time rancher branded his herd, or today, when a modern rancher tags his herd, he’s distinguishing them–setting them apart–from any other cattle, so there’s no question whom they belong to. That’s branding.

We could get lots of other definitions that expand on the meaning of brand in a business context, but let’s look at just one really good one from Seth Godin who’s a recognized authority on this subject. He says:

A brand is the set of expectations, memories, stories, and relationships that, taken together, account for a consumer’s decision to choose one product or service over another. If the consumer (whether it’s a business, a buyer, a voter or a donor) doesn’t pay a premium, make a selection, or spread the word, then no brand value exists for that consumer.

Seth’s definition might seem kind of broad or complex, but his point is actually pretty simple - if everything someone knows about your company doesn’t convince them that they need you, then for that person, you might as well not exist. To some extent, that’s fine. Your company’s not for everyone. You can’t be all things to all people, and you shouldn’t try. But your existence should matter – and it does matter – to some people, and identifying them is the key to building a valuable brand.

Essentially, you need to experience your own version of It’s a Wonderful Life.

What do you mean, Matt? You want us to put on a play?

Well not quite–although if you want to do community theater, more power to you. But that’s not really what I’m talking about. Instead, just like George Bailey from It’s a Wonderful Life, your company has to discover what the world would be like if you didn’t exist. What would be missing? Who would be missing you? What are those things you do and people you serve that make your business unique and wonderful?

Of course, those people include your customers and employees. For the purposes of this series, we’re focused on the latter. On your employer brand. But your overall brand should appeal to both groups. So I encourage you to go through your own “It’s a Wonderful Life” exercise, and use it to evaluate the strength of your brand.

Are you telling a unique story? And are you telling that story well? And are you telling it consistently?

Those are really the three essential characteristics for a great company identity: uniqueness, quality, and consistency. You should be looking for those whether you’re just evaluating your brand or reworking it. So, let’s spend a little time discussing each essential characteristic. First, uniqueness.

Uniqueness

Standing out is the hardest, but also the most valuable part of building your brand. Being distinct gives you a real advantage in getting recognized and remembered. Seth Godin puts it this way:

“In a crowded marketplace, fitting in is a failure. In a busy marketplace, not standing out is the same as being invisible.”

I think we’d all agree that the trucking industry is a crowded and a busy marketplace. It’s a downright competitive one, too. Everyone is #1. Just ask them. So if I’m a driver looking at a dozen different companies that are all basically saying the same thing, I need you to explain how you’re #1. And how that’s different from the rest. And why I should choose you over them.

Let’s look at an example of a carrier that’s done that. Meet the Keep On Trucking Company. This is a fictional carrier we created for the Recruiting Sessions, and they’re going to show up regularly to help illustrate different ideas.

So just a little about Keep On. They’re a private, regional carrier started in 1985 and still owned by co-founders, Tim Rivers and Doug Maxwell. Headquartered in Dallas, they provide drayage and regional service to customers in the Midwest and Southwest. After 30 years, Tim, Doug, and the team recognized their brand was in serious need of an overhaul. I think you’ll agree when I show you their old company home page.

Ouch. That just kind of hurts, doesn’t it? Now before I start criticizing, I have two disclaimers.

Number 1, we designed it to look bad. It’s a worst-case scenario, exaggerated for effect and for illustration. But it does include the real sorts of problems we sometimes see in real companies.

Disclaimer Number 2, we’re not trying to pick on anyone. If your brand looks even remotely like this, don’t feel bad. Just recognize you have the opportunity for something much better.

Having issued those disclaimers, I’ve got to say this site and brand are a disaster. If there is any unique identity or message communicated here, it’s completely obscured by quality problems. The most obvious of these is just how bad it looks, from the logo, to the image, to the use of fonts, and colors. It’s just all low quality, and that’s a real mistake. Because first impressions are based on appearance. So, initially, Keep On appears to be amateurish and unprofessional.

The page also reads as bad as it looks. It’s plastered with mixed messages, all competing for your attention. I mean, we’ve got ALL CAPS and exclamation points galore. The whole page is just shouting at you, so you’re not sure where to start. And it’s not just the number of messages, but their overall lack of quality. Everything from a misspelling to well-meaning, but failed attempts to be clever like “Keep On Keeping On with Keep On Trucking.”

But the biggest issue with the writing is that it doesn’t tell a good story. Instead of a narrative carefully woven together, we just have a bunch of facts loosely strung together. And that’s a problem. Because people remember stories, but they forget facts. We simply can’t retain all the information that comes our way. To really stick, something has to capture our imagination or relate to our own experience. This messaging just isn’t doing it.

Taken altogether, if this brand sticks out at all, it’s like a sore thumb. And that’s truly unfortunate because it’s not true. It’s a misrepresentation. Keep On Trucking is much better than this. They’re a good company with a good story. Their brand just makes them look bad.

And they knew it. So, they got to work, starting with their own “It’s a Wonderful Life” exercise. As they took a good hard look in the mirror, the first thing they had to admit was everything that they’re not. They’re not the biggest by any measure. Not in terms of their fleet, locations, or service area. Nor do they have the most or best-known customers. That means no high-profile name recognition. And, they don’t have the deepest pockets, so they can’t claim superior equipment or facilities.

That’s not to say that they’re failing in these areas. They’re actually gaining ground in all of them: in size, customers, reputation, and profits. But none of these are distinct advantages. So, what is? If they can’t out-size, out-reach, or out-spend their competition, what can they do?

They can out-care them, that’s what. After reflecting on what makes them distinct, their defining characteristic turned out to be care. Both for customers and employees.

Now on the surface, that might not sound like such a differentiator. After all, what trucking company doesn’t care for its people? But for Keep On, this proved to be such a priority and part of their DNA, they knew they could make it their central theme and relate everything else to it. And that’s exactly what they did.

We’ll take a look at the results, and more importantly, how you can get your own in our next session, Making Your Brand Stand Out, Part 2. Until then, I’m Matt.