After the fourth circuit, like sitting in a chair, I pulled up in front of Phineas.

    “You’re not even winded,” he said.

    “I know.”  

    “You found your rhythm, didn’t you, that third time around.  Just as you came into that straight part there.”

    “Yes, right there.”

    “You’ve been pretty lazy all along, haven’t you?”

    “Yes, I guess I have been.” 

    “You didn’t even know anything about yourself.”

    “I don’t guess I did, in a way.

That’s a quote from my favorite book, John Knowles’ A Separate Peace.

There are plenty of brands that don’t know much about themselves.  Like most people, many brands try to be who they think they should be or who their customers want them to be.  But is that really who they are?  They struggle with their messaging and change their ads, their logos, their taglines ad nauseam, all in an effort to find just the right words and pictures that will connect with consumers.  But the answer to that question lies right before them.

Consumers are smart and they will ultimately sniff out the authentic from the inauthentic.  There’s a disconnect when one matches up an oil company’s gorgeous “we’re so green” TV spots, with their energy portfolio.  And though they may be winning over minds in the short-term, they put themselves at terrible risk if news leaks out contrary to this overly rosy image because their words won’t match their actions.  If one of the big oil companies wants to be the leader in the renewable energy sector, they should do just that.  Lead with aggressive programs that put their $ where their mouth is.  Then they don’t have to manufacture the image or the press.  They don’t have to try so hard.

If your company wants to present a positive image, be prepared to do the work to back up that claim.  But before you can even start to paint the picture of who you want your brand to be, it’s important to do an audit.  Who is your brand now?  Is it likable?  Is it relevant?  Is it interesting?  If not, is your company willing to make the real changes that will help the marketing department develop an authentic portrayal and brand story?