So, I am a really huge fan of the Impressionist movement. The Impressionist Movement, which kicked off in the 1860s and lasted until the 1880s, was all about capturing the fleeting effects of light and color, often through outdoor painting. This group of around 30 artists, including big names like Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, and Edgar Degas, focused on everyday scenes with visible brush strokes and innovative perspectives. Despite initial criticism, they held eight exhibitions between 1874 and 1886, showcasing hundreds of works. Today, their thousands of pieces are celebrated for their revolutionary approach and lasting impact on the art world.
Whenever my husband and I visit a new museum anywhere in the world, we seek out these pieces and spend the majority of our time there, reveling in the use of light and color that is uniquely represented.
I am preferential to Edgar Degas, Camille Pissarro and Monet (the one with the mistress), while my husband adores Van Gogh almost primarily.
Out of those 30 or so artists that drove this movement, we can recognize the work of the artists we favor pretty easily, we can tell by the colors, the style of the brush strokes, the use of light as well as the subject, and several other telling criteria. These elements uniquely identify each artist in a crowded field of work. They uniquely represent their BRAND.
I can say the same thing about authors – not many people would confuse Stephen King with JRR Tolkien, for example. Their brands, their verbiage, use of alliteration or vernacular as well as the subject matter they cover are diverse.
Identifying YOUR Perspective and Brand Voice
So, how do you, a small or mid-sized business owner inject your perspective, your color, your light, YOUR voice to your brans in a way that uniquely identifies your work in a crowded field?
Intentionally.
Look at what you bring to the table for your company, to your industry and how YOU, the individual that you are can add your own flavor to the story. In other worlds, “to thine own self, (and brand) be true.”
But unlike the impressionists, there’s one more step that you as a business owner and authors have to take to get it exactly right.
The Buyer Persona Factor
You need to understand WHO your audience is, define them down to their name, location, job, hobbies, age, and what gets them to act, whether it be buying a book or your services. Paint a CLEAR picture of who they are, where they exist and what they need to hear from you to engage with you and your company.
See, the thing is, despite all the jargon, needs analysis results and sales pitches, we are ALL people trying to engage with other people. The human perspective, using our human capacity for communication, is STILL at the heart of real growth of the best brands. it’s really a one to one conversation between your CEO, CSO, and your buyer persona, that leads them to engage with you, to become a customer and decide to work together.
So, when you build your next messaging plan for your newest campaign rollout, ask your self this: Who are you? Are you Degas whose failing site led to even more beautiful work? Or are you Stephen King that uses allusion to the “good old days” gone by to lull his reader into complacency before shocking them?
And who is your buyer? he or she? Alabama or Manhattan? Homemaker or executive? And what problem do they really need you to solve for them?
Need help getting to the bottom of all this so your target market can identify you “on sight”?
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