Your reputation and identity impact every area of your professional practice. Creating a powerful firm identity is crucial to how you tell your story and differentiate yourself and your firm from a host of competitors.
Identity vs image
Firm identity is easily confused with image.
Your reputation, who clients think you are, where competitors pigeonhole you, how you're perceived by the world at large: that's image. Often, you can't control it - and never completely - owing to unplanned events and circumstances.
You control your identity
Firm identity is within your control. You can plan it. You can use quality visual elements to communicate to your universe: to your clients, prospective clients, adversaries, your profession, and to your own people.
Distinguished identity
Right-fit firm identity powerfully tells your story. It communicates how you want to be perceived. It helps you distinguish your services from your competitors. It differentiates you from the profession at large.
It must be:
- visible
- understandable
- memorable.
Powerful clues to who, what, where you are
Powerful identity gives the world at large - and your prospective clients, in particular - many clues to what you're on about and what sets you apart from the rest.
Identity vs brand
Visual distinction will support - not replace - your wider brand identity. (More about brand identity in other eTips.)
Identity and strategy
Firm identity must be completely congruent with your strategic vision to resonate powerfully.
Identity is no substitute for sorting out:
- who you are
- what you're on about
- what matters to you
- what it is that you do
- how you do it
- where you're heading.
Your firm identity must take all this into account.
Next week's eTip will deal with how to leverage powerful firm identity.
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