Brand Essence in Just 6 Words

It is hard to write a story in 6 words but Ernest Hemmingway did. "For sale: baby shoes, never worn." A powerful sentence isn't it? It instantly creates a myriad of images and emotions in our minds. If I say "Maiden voyage....iceberg....not enough lifeboats.", you know I mean Titanic. The 6 word story has become a bit of a phenomenon with magazines like Smith and Wired encouraging people to write their 6 word life story and share it.

Why don't we apply the same principle to brands? Can you write your brand story in 6 words? It's a good test of how clear and unique the positioning really is against the background noise. I've had a go at three. Is Starbucks instantly recognisable from the words "Third place between home and work" or McDonalds from "The fastest burger anywhere on earth"? Can you name this brand just from 6 words? "Mint with a hole. Fresh breath." We live in times of overwhelming choice and little differentiation. Weaker brands are increasingly vulnerable - think Robertsons Jam. To get on the shortlist, to swing the vote as the wallet is opened, means having a clear brand story present in your customer's head.

Have a go at writing the 6 words which best sum up your brand or a brand you work on. How easy was it? Did the results surprise you? Might your competitor say the same? Would customers recognise you, and you alone? It's a revealing exercise. I'm not sure that McDonalds wants to be "the fastest burger anywhere on earth". But in my head it is. No mention of quality. But accessible and fast. Given the description some might say Burger King, but I'm betting more people would say McDonalds and that's not a bad place to be. Every brand has a 6 word story. What's yours?

This idea is now available to download from SlideShare as a powerpoint presentation.