Recently, I had a very unproductive week.
I was totally “off brand”.
Usually, I’m the one who’s driven. Active. Productive. Basically, kicking ass.
But that week…
I was resigned to lying on my bear
This bear was my office for a week.
It’s “off brand.”
It’s not me.
My family knows me as someone who Crushes It. Who rides, runs and works out. Who lovingly motivates them to stay active.
But, somehow, my Sacroiliac (SI) joint got out of whack. Probably from doing stupid things in a stairwell or on piles of rocks. (follow me on Instagram for more of whatever that is) Regardless, it caused a wonderful cocktail of nerve pain and muscle spasms that prevented me from standing or sitting.
So I transformed a giant stuffed bear that our neighbor left behind the garage for us several years ago and we haven’t been able to get rid of into a makeshift medical bed. His name’s Teddy.
And it’s freaking my wife and kids out.
That’s not how they know me. And they’re not quite sure what to do with me.
Don’t go “off brand”
However you communicate your brand identity, make sure your messaging is consistent. Keep it “on brand”.
If you’re constantly changing up the communication style or the message, it freaks people out. You wouldn’t buy something from someone that freaks you out, right?
People like consistency. It’s comforting. It makes you seem reliable. There’s enough crazy and random in this world, we want a safe place. We want to know what we’re getting from our favorite brands… it’s why we have “favorite” brands.
It’s OK to experiment or try new things, just don’t pull a full 180º on your customers.
Unless, of course, that’s what they’re used to.