Wilson & Miller: The Best Advice On Building An Inspiring Brand

Let me start with a question.

What do you think of when you think of branding?

If you’re like most other business owners, you probably think of building a reputation that is based on your products or services. It’s a common belief.

You rely on your unique selling proposition. You find something that your offering provides that others don’t. You probably focus on doing it faster, cheaper, or better.

Makes sense right? Isn’t that what all successful companies do?

Not quite.

That’s what all successful companies used to do. Now, building an attractive brand requires something more.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying that you don’t need to have a unique selling proposition. What I’m saying is that in this day and age, you need something more.

You need to discover your brand’s purpose.

Wilson & Miller provides a wonderful example of a company that has built a winning brand. Wilson & Miller is a company that provides products for those who enjoy an outdoor lifestyle.

In this post, I will discuss some crucial branding lessons that Wilson & Miller can teach you.

Wilson & Miller

Wilson & Miller is a prime example of a brand with purpose. They have found a way to communicate a purpose that goes beyond the products they sell.

When you look at Wilson & Miller, you might see a company that sells outdoor products. But, that’s not their defining feature. It’s not their products that define them; it’s their sense of purpose. They have a mission that goes beyond what they sell.

Wilson & Miller’s mission is to support our troops. They are incredibly passionate about honoring those who have fought to protect our country.

The Importance of Brand Purpose

Having a brand purpose is one of the most important parts of branding. Without it, your prospects and clients won’t form an emotional connection with your company.

It’s a common mistake to think that it’s all about your product or service. But it’s not.

Why?

Because people don’t connect to products and services. They connect to people.

Purpose makes your brand more human and less corporate. It shows that your company is focused on something higher than what you’re selling. It’s something that can help you inspire your customers and employees.

There are three main branding lessons you can learn from Wilson & Miller:

Communicate Your Purpose

Wilson & Miller’s purpose is obvious from the moment you first visit their website. They put their mission front and center.

As a matter of fact, the visitor is going to notice their sense of patriotism before they even take a look at their products. This is powerful because the prospective customer is able to see what this company stands for right from the beginning. This helps them to quickly establish a deep connection with their prospects.

We need to take this to heart. The quicker we can communicate our brand purposes, the better. If you can get your prospects to connect emotionally with your brand from the start, you will have a much better chance of convincing them to buy from you.

Tell Your Story

You can’t talk about branding without discussing storytelling, can you? Storytelling is an integral part of building a strong brand.

Wilson & Miller puts their story front and center. For the prospects that visit their site, they are invited to read Wilson & Miller’s story. It gives them insight into what makes the company tick. It shows them why Wilson & Miller does what they do.

Author Simon Sinek says the following:

“People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it.”

It makes sense, right? Every one of us has a sense of purpose deep down inside. When a brand communicates their own sense of purpose, it speaks to that part of ourselves that is in touch with our own “why.”

The key is to tell stories that communicate your reason for being. Then, find ways to help your customers connect to your story.

When you tell stories that illustrate why you do what you do, your chances of converting more customers skyrockets.

Embrace A Purpose That Is Relatable

What if Wilson & Miller had decided that their brand purpose was to kick puppies? Yes, I know it’s silly, but stay with me.

One of the most important things to remember is that you have to embrace a purpose that most people can agree with. Otherwise, you’ll turn them off. If you went to Wilson & Miller’s website and saw them kicking puppies, you probably wouldn’t want to buy from them, would you? I hope not!

Wilson & Miller have embraced a purpose that most people can agree with. The vast majority of the people who visit their website aren’t going to have a problem with supporting the troops and promoting American values. As a matter of fact, most of them will view this positively.

When you’re thinking about your brand’s purpose, make sure it’s something that people can be passionate about. Or, at the very least, make sure that it’s something they can agree with.

How to Discover Your Brand Purpose

For many entrepreneurs, discovering their brand purpose is the hardest part. After all, how easy can it be to come up with a purpose that inspires prospects to buy into your brand?

It may not be the easiest thing to do, but there are some ways to define your purpose. Branding expert Mark Di Somma recommends that you ask yourself the following questions:

• When you started your business, what did you see that you wanted to change?

• How can the pursuit of that change make a bigger difference?
• What change do others want to see in the world? How does your brand fit in?
• How can you articulate a purpose that will inspire your audience to trust and support your brand?
• How will your purpose motivate those that you work with?

Answering these questions will go a long way towards helping you define and communicate your brand’s purpose.

Conclusion

Wilson & Miller provides a great example of a brand that has an inspiring purpose. By communicating this purpose, telling their story, and being relatable, they have defined themselves in a way that makes them more attractive to their customers. What lessons can you start implementing today to become a more purposeful brand?

Image: Wilson and Miller

This article, "Wilson & Miller: The Best Advice On Building An Inspiring Brand" was first published on Small Business Trends