How Metaphor Can Help Your Brand

Your brand doesn’t exist only in your mind, but it isn’t necessarily a tangible thing that people can touch. So how can you bridge the gap between the brand that exists in the mind and the brand that people can actually visualize? Easy. Through metaphor. Brand metaphors are effective tools that will allow your customers to see what you want them to see.

What Metaphor Is

Your metaphor isn’t just what you say and how you say it– it’s how your customers view your brand. It’s the whole package. It’s why we say Kleenex instead of tissue, why people freak out over Rolex, and why people spend tons of money on Chanel bags. We believe in the metaphor. We believe in the story behind your business. We believe in the lasting value of your company. Which is why metaphor is going to play a key role in your story.

Visualize Your Brand

To make sure your clients can visualize your brand, you must make sure that you can visualize your brand first. To do this, think of objects that might represent your goals. Are you more of a Chanel or a Mossimo? Do you hold your customer’s hands or do you let them choose? Are you like the 4th of July or like mother’s day? Thinking in terms of metaphor can help you solidify your goals and express them in a more tangible way.

Become an Archetype

Another way to think about your metaphor is to visualize your company as an archetype. Is your brand an outlaw? A sage? An achiever? Imagine your company as a person. What do they stand for? What do they believe in? What can they achieve in a day? This activity can help you begin to see your brand as a caricature of itself– and it may help you notice  the direction that you want your brand to take.

Speak to Your Readers’ Emotions

An effective metaphor campaign involves listing those attributes that make your brand unique. What sets your brand apart? How can customers visualize your company with one simple idea? How can your company change the way people view themselves? Once you think of these things, you can start to create a plan that will speak not only to the minds of your customers, but to their emotions.