Brand Audits Update x Christine Moody*

I hate shopping but love looking at what’s new on the shelf. While I don’t shop all the time (that is left to the cook in the house—my husband!), I do enjoy pushing the trolley and seeing what is new on the shelf. I always leave with some new inspiration seeing the new brands or recently revamped brands. I also use this as inspiration for my work in the personal brands arena.

Think of yourself as a pack of tea on the shelf, you are a really nice tea and your family and friends love you but you are not getting the sales. The sales figures show that the well-known brands like Twinings are still outselling the other brands. So you sit on the shelf until the sales are so low, and you worried that you will no longer stocked.

But just before this happens, you undergo a packaging revamp and an entire redesign takes place. The product itself does not change but the outside (the packaging) does. The packaging now reflects your tea’s history and origins, its uniqueness, its taste, its personality, and its authenticity. It is now able to stand out and get the recognition (and the sales) it deserves! But  even more importantly, it reflects the outside now reflects the inside of the pack.

There is no difference between the humble tea brand and your personal brand.

There is no difference between the humble tea brand and your personal brand. When I am conducting personal brand audits, a common theme is the fact that the ‘product’ (the inside contents) is fantastic but the ‘packaging’ (the outside and what everyone sees—the design of the dress, the resume, the website etc) does not reflect the true personal brand. It is not seen as important to some—”it is what I have achieved in my career that will enable me to stand out”—I hear regularly. But like it or not, it does matter and it does matter to your ‘personal sales’—your first job, next career move, your appointment to the board!

Are you going to wait until you are no longer stocked or is it time to revisit your packaging?

*Christine Moody is one of Australia’s leading brand strategists and the founder brand management consultancy, Brand Audits. With more than 30 years’ professional experience, Christine has helped a diverse client base of local and international brands, including Gold Coast City Council, Hilton Hotels, and Wrigleys USA, to develop, protect and achieve brand differentiation.

For more information: chris.moody@brandaudits.com.au or +61 419 888 468.