Create Your Brand Manifesto: Day 3 of 21 Days to Build a Better Brand

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In today’s lesson, you’re going to learn what a brand manifesto is and why it’s so important to share your values and beliefs with your audience. You’ll learn how to make emotional connections with people and why this step is critical in building long-lasting relationships with your customers.

All Great Brands Start With Why

As Simon Sinek explains in his popular TED talk (35 million views and counting), and best-selling book Start With Why, people don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it. What this means is that the biggest brands out there today infuse what they believe into their brands. They take a stand. They share their values, passions, and desires with the world.

Their attraction is not based on what they do but rather why they do it. By doing this, they are able to make emotional connections with people. It’s these emotional connections that make these brands so successful.

People Buy Because They Believe What You Believe

I love Chipotle. From the very first time I walked into one of their stores, I was hooked. There was just something different about this place. Sure the food is amazingly delicious (the chips and guacamole are out of this world), but there was something bigger I was attracted to.

I strongly believe we should be creating a more sustainable food system. I believe it’s one of the most important things we can do for our community, for our country, and for the planet. It turns out Chipotle believes this as well. Walk into any Chipotle and you’ll see their “Food With Integrity” message next to their menu. So right there in that moment, I feel a deep emotional connection with this brand.

Here’s how Chipotle communicates their beliefs on their website:

Day after day we’re committed…

To sourcing the very best ingredients we can find and preparing them by hand.
To vegetables grown in healthy soil, and pork from pigs allowed to freely root and roam outdoors or in deeply bedded barns.
We’re committed because we understand the connection between how food is raised and prepared, and how it tastes.
We do it for farmers, animals, the environment, dentists, crane operators, ribbon dancers, magicians, cartographers, and you.
With every burrito we roll or bowl we fill, we’re working to cultivate a better world.

Let’s face it, I can get a pretty good burrito anywhere. The reason I am a diehard fan of Chipotle is because they believe what I believe.

What Do You Believe?

If you want to start making deep, meaningful connections with the right people then you need to be able to communicate what you believe. You’ll need to share your values and let people know what you stand for, and maybe even what you stand against. What are your passions, desires, and aspirations? Don’t be afraid to get personal, these are the things that make your brand more human and more relatable.

Brand Manifesto

Today you’re going to write your brand manifesto. Your brand manifesto is simply a declaration of your beliefs. But keep in mind that it’s more than a list or a document, it’s a way for people to emotionally connect with you and your brand. So take the time and put some thought into those things that you most firmly believe in. To get an idea of how this might look, here are a couple of examples of brands with awesome manifestos:

Both iFixit and Poseidon do a fantastic job of articulating those things they most strongly believe in. By showing the world what they stand for, they attract like-minded people to their brand and create raving fans.

By the way, you don’t have to be a graphic designer to create an effective brand manifesto. The most important thing is that you are clearly communicating your beliefs. You can just make a list of these things on your website, or get someone to help you create a beautiful graphic you can share with the world. Check out the graphic design section on the Resources page if you want some help.

Day 3 Action Item—Create Your Brand Manifesto

Write your brand manifesto. Go somewhere where you can focus, grab a notebook or your 21 Days to Build a Better Brand Workbook. Take some time and try to finish as many of the following statements as possible. If you get stuck on one, don’t worry about it. Just move on to the next one and come back to it later. The idea is to get as much as possible down on paper.

• We believe…
• We stand for…
• We help you…
• We love…
• We desire…
• We aspire to…
• We are…
• We are fanatical about…
• Our passion is to…
• You have the right to…
• Our goal is to…
• We are tired of…
• We stand against…
• We will no longer stand for…
• We fight for…

Once you’ve gone through and written a few statements for each of the above prompts, go back through your list and pick out the ones you feel most strongly about. If you feel something when you read these, chances are your customers will too.

Once you have your brand manifesto tightened up, put it on your website, share it on social media, or include it in your next presentation. When you do you’ll be on your way to attracting people who believe those same things and you’ll start creating raving fans and lifelong customers.

Coming up: Tomorrow you’ll learn the importance of knowing your ideal client or customer.

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