076: My Authority Magazine interview!
My Authority Magazine interview!
With host Solveig Petch, aka Petchy
The story of that time I shared screen real-estate with Seth Godin and got all star struck.
I was thrilled to be interviewed for Authority Magazine’s series about how to create a trusted, believable, and beloved brand. (Also: can we take a moment to acknowledge that for all of about ten minutes I got to share screen real-estate with Seth Godin?!) So in case you missed it, or you prefer to listen rather than read, I’ve recorded it and turned it into this podcast episode! I’m not gonna lie, this is going to feel a bit weird, because I’ll be pretending to be both the interviewer and the interviewee. But here we go!
Branding, marketing, and advertising are all elements that work together in a glorious ecosystem, or symbiosis if you will, to create a strong brand that is recognised and valued by the people you want to impact.
— Petchy
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Hello, and thanks for tuning in to Brand it! With Petchy! I recently had the pleasure of being interviewed for Authority Magazine’s series about how to create a trusted, believable, and beloved brand.
So in case you missed it, or you prefer to listen rather than read, I’ve recorded it and turned it into the podcast episode you’re just about to hear!
In case you’re new around here, allow me to introduce myself:
I’m Solveig Petch [aka Petchy], a brand strategist and designer who is passionate about crafting remarkable branding for the quietly rebellious. With a degree in Design Management, 20+ years of working with brands of all types and sizes, and 14+ years as a business owner, I think it’s safe to say I’m not your average designer-turned-strategist! In my work, I fuse strategy with design to facilitate brand transformations that stand out from the crowd and help values-driven business owners connect with more of their best-fit clients.
A firm believer that building an impactful and profitable brand can be done without compromising your integrity or pretending to be someone you’re not, I’ve made it my mission to help my clients discover and define their brands’ unique purpose and personality, find the confidence to own their sh*t — and tap into their uniqueness to spark meaningful connections and build brands their way.
I'm also the creator of the Brand it!™ framework, and — surprise! — host of this podcast.
Let’s dive into the interview. I’m not gonna lie, this is going to feel a bit weird, because I’ll be pretending to be both the interviewer and the interviewee. But here we go!
Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?
Sure, but be warned: I don’t have a short answer to this question! I knew from an early age that I wanted to pursue a career in the creative field — but my journey has been far from linear, and I’m pretty sure there isn’t a definite final destination!
Let’s begin back in the jolly 1980s and 90s. Growing up I was everyone’s favourite kid to pick on, I didn’t have many friends, and I never felt like I belonged — so instead I immersed myself in art, crafts, and reading. I would spend hours drawing, making stuff, or escaping the real world by disappearing into the magical world of books. On the outside I was quiet and kind, never got into any trouble, did well academically… I was a textbook example of a “good girl” – always seeking approval. By the time my teen years rolled by, I was 100% set on becoming a graphic designer, and when I was just fifteen, I moved away from my childhood island to study art and design. Three years later, by fluke, I came across a degree in Design Management. I’d never even heard the term before, but I knew immediately that “this is it!”. I fell in love with the intersection of strategy and creativity, the idea that great design is informed by something more tangible and purposeful than good looks alone.
After graduating, I did “the usual” stint in corporate, then fell headfirst into entrepreneurship when the agency where I worked shut down unexpectedly. And just like that, I was the co-founder of a design agency! At that point, I had never even considered running my own biz, not even for a second. Long story short, that first foray into entrepreneurship taught me a lot, but I never really managed to shake off the corporate “shoulds”. A business owner on paper, but inside I was exhausted by the constant struggle to fit into society’s (rather narrow!) expectation of what it looks like to be “successful” or “professional” — I never understood why I couldn’t just be me. I still felt like a bit of a misfit to be honest; I never felt at home in the corporate world, and when I set out on my solo business journey in 2016, I knew I wanted to do things differently.
Even so, it took me a good couple of years to stop feeling like I should try to squeeze back into the corporate pigeonhole. The online business sphere is chock full of self-proclaimed gurus, each claiming that their way is the only way – and so many brand strategists seem to be cocky dudes in suits, several of them without formal education in the field, who rely more on “fancy jargon” than real experience. No wonder so many of us feel like we’re “doing it wrong”, eh?
Nowadays I make sure to bring my own lived experiences into my brand and my work. Those who know me well, know there is not a woo bone in my entire body. Still, my clients say I have this way of "intuitively" knowing what they need, even when they don't know it themselves. I attribute this to a lifetime of observing from a corner, "reading the room" and reading people's body language to discern their intentions — skills I acquired to avoid being bullied and/or hurt. These skills that came from so much pain are now one of my biggest professional assets, and I want to use those skills to help others who feel trapped under the weight of all the “shoulds" to break free from feeling like they have to pretend to be someone they're not, when building their businesses and brands.
Can you share a story about the funniest marketing mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
I dunno if I’ve made any funny blunders, but I’ve definitely made mistakes! I think the worst was that I didn’t swallow my own pill in the beginning; I made the mistake of building the brand everyone else expected me to build, instead of the one that felt true to me. My marketing efforts back then (2016) were stiff and formal, and felt about as uncomfortable as a badly fitting pair of jeans. I guess that’s kinda funny, coming from someone who teaches the opposite?
What do you think makes your company stand out? Can you share a story?
Actually, it’s me. I’m the thing that makes my company stand out. I pour a lot of myself into my business, and I touched on it earlier; but one of the things that makes me stand out is my ability to detect my clients’ unspoken needs and thoughts, and then using those insights and observations to inform the work I do for them — whether that’s purely strategic or through the design of compelling brand identities. I also show up fully and unapologetically as me; Petchy the (imperfect) human, not just Petchy the (perfectly polished) brand. I’m not afraid to show my personality, opinions, and quirky sense of humour, and I strive to always be respectfully honest. Some people have been very vocal about how this can hurt my reputation — but my clients love it, and it’s also helping me to form deep and meaningful connections and build brand trust.
Are you working on any exciting new projects now? How do you think that will help people?
I’m always working on exciting projects! I have the most amazing clients, and while I don’t want to share details about them individually without consent, what I can say is that they are such a diverse bunch that the variety itself makes every new project exciting. I work with companies of all sizes and across a wide range of industries, from micropreneurs who produce craft cider, growth phase startups in the subsea sector, to established brands looking to reposition or expand into new markets.
What they all have in common though, is that they are driven by something bigger than just their own success. They’re brands that give a sh*t — so by helping them succeed and make a bigger impact, I get to indirectly contribute to a better world. That’s what drives me.
Ok let's now jump to the core part of our interview. In a nutshell, how would you define the difference between brand marketing (branding) and product marketing (advertising)? Can you explain?
Branding, marketing, and advertising are all elements that work together in a glorious ecosystem, or symbiosis if you will, to create a strong brand that is recognised and valued by the people you want to impact.
I’d like to start by first getting clear on the difference between a brand and branding. The most common misconception I see is that when someone hears the word branding, they automatically think about the visual brand assets. The logo, the colours, the tangible things.
Your brand is more than a pretty logo though! Your brand is how people perceive your company, and it’s basically made up of emotions inside people’s minds. It’s the combined impression of all the times and places where they have come across your brand. This is impossible to be 100% in control of, because (thankfully!) you can’t go in and hack people’s brains into feeling a certain way about you or your business.
But: you can try to influence how they feel. And those actions, the stuff you do to influence people’s opinion or perception of your brand — that is branding. This includes developing a distinct brand identity that reflects the values, personality, and positioning of your brand and sets it apart from competitors — to help you form an emotional connection with your target audience.
Advertising, on the other hand, is the process of promoting a product, service, or company through various mediums such as print, broadcast, digital, and social media. A key component of your overall marketing, advertising aims to inform, persuade, and influence people to buy or engage with your brand. Advertising differs from branding in that the messaging is typically more focused on product features, benefits, and promotions, rather than on the overarching brand identity and culture.
So, where branding is about creating a unique identity that reflects the company's values and personality, advertising is about promoting specific products or services.
Can you explain to our readers why it is important to invest resources and energy into building a brand, in addition to the general marketing and advertising efforts?
When you’re not clear on your brand’s strategic foundations, you might struggle to retain brand consistency. You risk sending mixed messages, confusing your audience, and attracting the wrong people. Not quite what you wanted for your brand, right? Good news: by investing a little time and effort into finding brand clarity, you can make the rest of your branding efforts so. much. easier — saving you time and money in the long run!
When you have a brand platform to inform your marketing efforts, you no longer have to reinvent the wheel for every campaign you put out there. You already know how to show up consistently, and how to act in alignment with your brand’s values. You know what visual style the collateral should have; you know what tone of voice to use when you write your copy — all of this is making it easy for you to leave a cohesive impression across every touchpoint. And you know what that means? Your coveted “know, like, and trust-factor” will soar!
Can you share 5 strategies that a company should be doing to build a trusted and believable brand? Please tell us a story or example for each.
I can’t answer this question without talking about your brand core. Now more than ever, people want to buy from brands that stand for something beyond just their own success, and a strong brand core, based around bold and heartfelt brand values, can inform your outward facing branding activities in a way that fosters genuine connection, loyalty and trust — all factors that are key to building a brand that excites, attracts, delights, and makes it easy for the right people to remember you.
Brand with purpose
According to the dictionary, purpose is: “The reason for which something is done or created or for which something exists.” If you are a company, that translates to the reason your brand exists — beyond just making money.Is profit a bad thing? Heck no! Businesses need to make a profit, but when profit becomes the only driving force for a brand, there’s not much room left for the human aspect of branding. Brands that are only driven by the constant need for more profit, better margins, more efficiency... are in real danger of treating both their employees and their customers as nothing more than numbers. And when you then stop to think about how branding is all about feelings and emotional connections, can you see how the two collide?
Having a purpose to lead the way for your brand, offers you the potential to create deeper and stronger customer relationships, allowing your dream clients to resonate with your brand in a more meaningful way – elevating your brand to something more than just a commodity. And that translates into more sales and greater brand loyalty.
Lead with brand values, not bland values!
If you think about it for a second… when you’re out shopping for a product or a service, and you come across a brand that just feels so aligned with your own values, do you ever feel compelled to choose that one over the similar brand that offers no such “added value” – even if that other product is cheaper? I know I do. That’s because it feels good to us humans to feel like we’re making a small contribution to help a cause we care about; and that’s how your brand can really stand out and attract people who share your values and beliefs.We're moving away from the traditional way of seeing the customer as just a buyer, someone whose money you want to take in exchange for your product or service, and moving more towards a co-creation scenario, where consumers are very much a part of shaping the brands they want to associate themselves with. When you have a clear purpose, and authentic brand values that your kind of people can get behind… those people are much more likely to not only buy from you, but also to spread the word about your brand and what you do.
Your brand values are the beliefs that you, as a company, stand for. This may seem insignificant – and if you’ve just randomly picked a selection of positive-sounding words without giving it much thought at all, or because they’re the kind of values you expect will resonate with your audience, then they will be insignificant. But done right, brand values are an invaluable asset for your brand!
The reason why so many brands have defined such generic and "safe" values is that they are easy to claim. There’s no risk involved, there are no feathers to ruffle. No one will be upset. It’s safe. And booooriiiiing. The kind of values that could apply to pretty much any brand in the world. Instead of choosing the easy options, ask yourself what you truly believe in. Accept that you are never going to be able to please everyone, so you may as well just really own who you are!
The key is finding and connecting with the people who share your values and beliefs, because they are the ones that will become your raving fans and brand ambassadors. Those who don’t share your values will go elsewhere — and that's a good thing.
Define your vision and mission
When you’re motivated by your core vision and mission, rather than by profit alone, that purpose then acts as your north star, a guide for all your business decisions.Your vision statement describes what you’d like to accomplish in the future; the big dream you have for your brand and the world — while your mission statement defines the everyday actions and decisions your brand is doing to fulfil that vision. In short:
vision = why → mission = how
vision = someday → mission = every day
If you feel like impacting the world is too monumental for your brand; remember this: while you can’t save the world on your own, by letting your purpose and your values lead the way you can be a part of the bigger picture, making sure the impact you make (however small or seemingly insignificant) helps pull in the right direction.
Show some (authentic!) personality
People buy from brands they like and relate to. When you develop a brand personality, you’re basically assigning human characteristics to a brand in order to resonate with a specific audience. Thinking about your brand as a person with unique personality traits makes it easier to show up in a way that speaks to your ideal clients on an emotional level, so a memorable and consistent brand personality, rooted in your brand's values, is an impactful way to increase brand equity and make your brand stand out.Your brand personality can be expressed visually or verbally, through everything from your logo and design style to your tone of voice or imagery — as well as through the way your brand behaves and acts. It’s comparable to how someone expresses their personality through the clothes they wear, the language they use, or the car they drive.
I do feel it’s important to note that this does not mean you should be airing your dirty laundry in public or constructing a personality to take advantage of people’s emotional trigger points.There’s a fine line between personal and private, and you decide where to draw that line. Whatever you do; don’t fake it! Today’s consumers are savvy and discerning, and they’ll see right through that bs. Consider this more of a permission (as if you needed one!) to let your true colours shine through into your branding — so that your soulmate clients can recognise that you’re their type of brand.
Show up consistently
When I say you should be consistent, I don’t mean “you must show up every weekday on all platforms” consistent. I mean, you can do that too — visibility is never a bad thing! But what’s more important is that when you do show up, you show up authentically and appear in the same way every time and across all your platforms, so people learn that they can trust that you really are who you say you are and stand for what you say you do. This rings true for your brand visuals, your tone of voice, and your actions; and will not only build your brand recognition over time, but also show people that you’re a trustworthy brand.And guess what? Showing up consistently becomes so much easier when you’ve got your purpose, values, vision, mission, and personality sorted!
In your opinion, what is an example of a company that has done a fantastic job building a believable and beloved brand. What specifically impresses you? What can one do to replicate that?
It would be so easy to mention one of the bigger brands here, one that you're all familiar with, like Apple or McDonald's. But here's the thing; you don't need to be known by the entire world! What matters is that you're believable and beloved in the eyes of your inner circle of loyal fans and customers — whether that's 500 people, or 5 million.
So I want to introduce you to a brand that most of you probably haven't even heard of, unless you happen to live in Norway or you have a very particular interest in specialty coffee or donuts: Talormade.
In their own words:
“The whole idea was simple: roast delicious coffees the way that people like them, be transparent and kind and most importantly: have fun!”
— and then they added donuts to that, and who doesn’t like a decadent, fancy donut?!
I think they’ve truly nailed this — and people love them for it. Their brand identity oozes personality; it’s quirky, it’s bold, and it’s fun! Their brand storytelling is transparent and compelling. Their products are superb. And they’re consistent about applying their branding, they delight and surprise across every touchpoint — the packaging they ship their coffee subscription in makes me smile when I open my mail!
I chose Talormade as an example because it’s a small brand, not despite of it. It’s a brilliant case to show you that you can do the same even if you’re not a huge corporation. The recipe? Be honest and transparent, share your compelling brand story, build a unique brand identity that showcases your quirks, and be consistent about applying it.
In advertising, one generally measures success by the number of sales. How does one measure the success of a brand building campaign? Is it similar, is it different?
It’s definitely different. Where advertising is typically measured by short-term, very specific, and objective metrics (think conversion rates and ROI), brand-building is a lot more subjective, and focused on long-term goals such as creating brand awareness and building brand loyalty. That’s not to say it can’t be measured though — it’s just a different set of metrics.
Some of the key metrics that are commonly used to measure the success of a brand-building campaign are brand awareness, perception, engagement, and loyalty. So, you might conduct a brand awareness or a brand perception survey, run focus groups, or monitor social media engagement, email open rates, customer retention rates etc.
Keep in mind that some of those results might be influenced by other factors too, so you can never really be 100% certain that they can be attributed to your brand-building campaign alone — but it will give you a pretty good indication as to whether it’s a significant contributing factor.
What role does social media play in your branding efforts?
To be honest: much less now than it used to. I’ve always had most of my business come through via referrals, and through nurturing genuine relationships with the people in my network. Social media’s biggest role in my brand building efforts is just that: it’s a venue for finding, connecting, and communicating with like-minded people. Last year, I stopped posting to my feed on Instagram, and it was sheer relief! Now that I don’t have to constantly think of new short-form content ideas, I have so much more time to focus on deeper human-to-human connections and long-form content like my podcast and emails to my (small) list.
If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)
This is probably the hardest question to answer of them all, because I care deeply about so many different things. I believe that every person on this planet deserves the right to equal opportunities and the freedom to be who they are without fear; regardless of ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, body size or shape, religion, age, the place they were born… I mean, at the end of the day; we’re all humans!
It might be an impossible utopia, given the broken society we live in, but some kind of movement that unites people, that leads us towards a world where we all respect our fellow humans, even if we don’t always understand or agree with every person. I strongly believe we need to look to the coming generations for the right path, because quite frankly: my generation and the ones that came before us haven’t exactly done a stellar job. Still, we can’t just fob this off for our kids to fix, we need to do our part too.
What exactly does this movement look like? How do we take action on a societal level? I’m not sure. But we can start with ourselves — and for those of us who are parents; we can strive to raise our children to be compassionate, discerning, kind, and strong.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote"? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
“Boundaries are values in action.”
—Randi BuckleyThis quote was a game changer for how I approach not only my business, but also life in general. I was about three years into my solo business journey when I had the pleasure of attending the “Slow Business Adventure” in the mountains of Norway. Randi was one of the keynote speakers, and when she spoke these words, I could feel it in my bones! As a recovering people-pleaser (hello burnout, old friend!), defining and enforcing boundaries have always been challenging for me. I’m that person who hates to let people down — which often leads to letting myself down instead. This is the one quote I keep coming back to when I need to protect my integrity and stand firmly behind my values, whether in business or my personal life.
Is there a person in the world with whom you would like to have lunch or breakfast with?
If I could gather Dana James Mwangi, Chris Do, and Seth Godin to geek out about branding over a freshly baked Italian style pizza, I’d be totally chuffed!
How can our readers follow you on social media?
I do still have a presence on Instagram, in the form of an evergreen grid — so if you connect there, make sure to check out my stories or connect in the DMs, because that’s where all the juicy stuff is going on. Same thing over on Linkedin, I’d love to connect! Just make sure you mention this interview when you send a connection request, so I know where you came from.
Instagram @petchy.co
Linkedin www.petchy.co
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