Why Your Brand Is Your First Impression - And Why That Matters

Your Brand Speaks Before You Do

The truth is, your brand is speaking for you, even when you’re not in the room - it communicates your values, your personality, and what people can expect from working with you. That’s why getting it right is so important.

If your brand doesn’t truly reflect who you are or what you stand for, it can create confusion. People may walk away with the wrong idea about your business, or worse, they might not feel drawn to engage with you at all.

Is Your Brand Telling the Right Story?

A common challenge for many businesses is that their branding starts to feel disconnected from who they are as they grow and evolve. What worked when the company was small or when you first launched might not feel quite right anymore; maybe the visuals are outdated, or the messaging doesn’t capture the full picture of what you do today.

This is something many businesses experience. At some point, you evolve, but your brand doesn’t always keep up. If you’re ambitious, bold, and always pushing to add more value for your clients, does your brand reflect that? If not, it might be time to revisit how you’re presenting yourself.

Aligning Your Brand with Your Values

One of the most important parts of branding is making sure your values are clear. What do you stand for? What are the qualities that guide your business? Whether it’s positivity, integrity, or honesty, your brand should reflect those values naturally.

Think about it this way: your brand should give people an immediate sense of what it’s like to work with you. If your values shine through, they’ll know they’re in the right place before they even start a conversation.

Keep Evolving Your Brand

Remember, branding isn’t a “set it and forget it” situation; as your business grows and changes, your brand should evolve too. Take the time to assess whether your brand still aligns with who you are and what you want to convey to your clients. Does it feel authentic? Does it accurately reflect the kind of work you do and the relationships you build?

If not, don’t be afraid to make changes; it’s better to adapt and realign your brand than to let it grow stale or misrepresent your business.

If we look at Evri as an example. The Evri rebrand from Hermes is all about innovation, showcasing a fresh, flexible logo that can take on 194,481 different looks, reflecting the company's focus on community and a desire to move forward from its past challenges.

A clever way to not only refresh their image but also connect with customers in a more personal and engaging way.

The Takeaway: Your Brand is a Reflection of You

In the end, your brand is a reflection of your business, your values, and your mission. It's your chance to make a lasting first impression, and it’s worth putting in the time and effort to get it right. After all, first impressions matter—and your brand is often the first thing people notice about you.

So, is your brand telling the right story? If not, now might be the perfect time to rethink how you present yourself to the world.

Action

Conduct a Brand Alignment Check: Set aside time to critically evaluate your current brand presentation. Ask yourself and your team these questions:

1. Does our brand accurately reflect our current values and mission?

2. Are we effectively communicating what it's like to work with us?

3. Has our business evolved since we last updated our branding?

4. Do our visuals and messaging still resonate with our target audience?

If you answer 'no' to any of these, it's time to consider refreshing your brand. This doesn't necessarily mean a complete overhaul - it could be as simple as updating your messaging or tweaking your visual elements to better align with your current business identity and values. Remember, your brand is the first thing people will see, so make sure it's telling the right story about who you are and what you offer.