60 Degrees - It's All Relative

It's 13 degrees in NEPA right now. That's a heat wave compared to the single digits that have been the norm the past week. School delays for cold, not snow, occur each morning. No one wants to go outside but theydo as it is the reality they must deal with at the moment.

In Sarasota Florida, the temp will top out around 60 today. Local newscasts are focused on the effect of overnight freezes on crops, people are walking around in heavy fleeces and no one has braved the pool at the resort.

No one but the folks from "up north" who are walking around in shorts and sandals, soaking in the sunshine and talking about calling home to make sure the pipes haven't burst.

It's all relative.

Where you are - physically, mentally, geographically, spiritually - filters how you perceive the world. It's the reason two people will look at the same painting with different appreciations; the reason we can remember the words to one song but not another; the reason we identify with an author's words, a doctor's words or a friend's words.

So very often, marketers forget this simple idea and create brand messages that are "one size fits all" without regard to who is listening. In an effort to sell more product or sign up more users, the value of the brand is diluted to the point of meaninglessness.

A brand is a promise wrapped in an experience. That promise needs to be true and clear. It needs to resonate with your audience. Every interaction with your organization must be a reflection of your promise. This is not what you do - it is how you do it and why it matters.

Then remember you have no control. It is all relative. The perception of your organization is in the hands of those who meet you and there is some truth to the saying "you only get one chance to make a first impression."