If you’re trying to build a strong and consistent reputation, then staying “on brand” is key. Projecting your values clearly through the way you behave, talk, and look helps other people associate you with those values. Over time, the brand you’ve built becomes part of your identity. As blogger Nancy Koehn says, quoting Gandhi, “My life is my message.” She explains that “the more transparent that the world gets, enabled largely by technology, the more important it is that you are what you appear to be. ” Basically, building a great brand is all about authenticity.
This kind of authentic self and on-brand behavior goes for both people and companies. I recently received an e-holiday card from a company I really admire and am inspired by, Immersyve. Immersyve grew out of a self-determination theory perspective and is helmed by Scott Rigby, Ph.D., co-author of Glued to Games: How Video Games Draw Us In and Hold Us Spellbound. Their holiday card was cute, short, sweet, and embodied the spirit and content of their work:
This card reminds you what Immersyve is all about (that’s engagement, in case you missed it), while communicating the intended holiday greetings. Aside from making me thirsty for a cocktail and then failing to deliver the alcoholic goods, I’d say this is a very well-done on-brand statement of holiday cheer.