Minding Your Own Brand

Have you perfected your Slinky technique?

By Guest Columnist Kristen Collins

Editors Note: This article was written by an IMAGEidentity intern as her final project.
I decided to share it with my Minding Your Own Brand readers.

Rummaging through an old toy chest, I stumbled across a neon pink Slinky with some of its rings stretched out from overuse. I reminisced on my childhood years, remembering the frustrations I felt as I poked and prodded the slinky to glide down my 14 steps, only to watch it tumble down and land in a heap at the bottom landing. With each attempt, I grew more and more irritated by the imperfect efforts at using my slinky. My push was too soft, landing the slinky two steps below its starting point. My push was too hard, forcing my slinky to lurch off path into a rolling ball of chaos. Despite my exhausting efforts, my envy grew as I witnessed my younger brother gracefully slink the plastic toy down 14 stairs, landing in a pose that would surely score a ten amongst judges.

As these thoughts wandered through my mind, I began to link my previous frustrations as a child to those felt by small businesses and large corporations today. As a company seeks to develop its brand, executives may wonder “are we trying too hard?” “Will our customers recognize our brand?”

Yes, there does exist such a thing as trying too hard. As seen by the 50’s toy slinky, a push too forceful could land a company in a jumbled heap of trouble. It is essential for a company to recognize its niche and develop its path to excellence. Specialization enables a company to focus their branding efforts and effectively target an appropriate market. By over-extending their brands and trying to make them stand for too much, a company may lose its sense of purpose.

Too many product lines which try to be everything to everybody very rarely produce effective results for companies. Rather, they find themselves questioning their missions, goals and company intents. Customers look at the company and see a mere chaotic and undefined purpose. Do you want your company to be the slinky laying in a tangled pile on the lowest level? Or do you prefer to be the slinky on which every company, employee, and customer focuses as you stylishly and consistently display your perfection.

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