Have you ever watched the Olympics and seen an athlete prepare just before their race – the way they compose themselves in both body and mind?
You may see them close their eyes, take deep breaths or gently shake themselves through. What they are doing is centering themselves.
If we could hear their thoughts we would possibly hear them replaying a mantra to themselves of their intended performance. Calming their nerves. Clearly seeing the vision of their success. They are getting into the zone… the zone of their own power.
Just like athletes your brand has it’s own internal power zone.
Imagine if an athlete was preparing to race and they were being distracted by the crowd, the loudspeaker, their competitors, the pressure and suddenly they are feeling very hot and what if they fail and oh, oh, no!
That is not how you get into the zone.
The zone of your power source in marketing works much the same way. It starts with a central point that resides within. In brand speak it is called the core brand foundation. The brand foundation is a clear idea of who you are, what you are doing and what’s the strength behind your ‘game on’.
Yet most often people start to build their brand foundation by looking outside to find the answers. By copying other people’s business strengths, or thinking they are incomplete without this bell or that whistle. Chasing ideas outside themselves. Like a cat chasing their tail.
For a winning athlete though, the core power is within.
Every brand is unique and therefore has it’s own unique power and purpose… your job is to find it and draw upon it like a wellspring.
Stay centred!
The symbolic metaphor of an athlete
An athlete as an image and a metaphor, is symbolic of setting goals, visions or aspirations and the hard work, determination and commitment that get you there.
Often an athlete can be used visually to indicate discipline and courage.
