What if I told you that quality had nothing to do with it? What if the cup of coffee you paid five dollars plus tax for was no better than a fifty cent coffee from the corner store?

I remember when I used to laugh at friends for wearing six hundred dollar Gucci belts as their pants sagged enough to know what kind of underwear they were wearing. At the time, I took pride in the fact that I did not wear logos and symbols across my chest or feel the urge to buy shoes that cost more than my entire outfit. In my eyes everyone had fallen for the catchy slogans and fancy logos, everyone but me; I was far too “woke” to fall into such an illusion… or at least that’s what I thought.

The intangible power of brands was not evident to me until the day I had a seemingly innocent discussion about computers with a close friend. He was an avid gamer who pledged his allegiance to the HP computer and I was a content creator who preached the gospel of Apple. As we partook in “civil” discourse on the benefits of our chosen devices, he became intensely defensive about his chosen brand as if his convincing me of HP’s superiority would make me smash my MacBook, in the likeness of the most popular scene in the movie “Office Space.”

I knew there was no way I could convince him that Apple products were superior so instead I switched the topic to something a little lighter, Raiders and 49ers… We never spoke on the subject again, both knowing internally that it would conjure up emotions, the type of emotions that could create a strain on a relationship if gone unchecked.

As I thought back to the “almost argument” I had with my friend, I started thinking about all of the arguments I’ve heard over preferred brands. Whether it was Cowboys and Patriots, Nike and Adidas, or Cardi B and Nicki Minaj, time and time again the innocent conversations turned into heated arguments, sometimes severe enough to end friendships. Before truly understanding the power of a brand, I viewed arguments over inanimate objects and famous individuals as trivial and childish, until of course someone brought up a brand I personally favored, then and only then was I personally invested.

The Mind Behind the Brand

Brands live in the minds and hearts of the people, not their closets or kitchens. As hard as it was for me to admit, my inclination towards different brands had little to nothing to do with facts and everything to do with how I felt about them.

The only reason I believed that Colgate was the best brand of toothpaste on the market was because my parents used it all my life. My justification, however, was not that it had certain “properties” that rid plaque and ensured that I would not lose all of my teeth by age twenty-five… we’ll see about that.

As I dove into my informal studies of branding, I quickly found that it was no accident that I was so emotionally invested in the brands that I loved, whether the brand was Will Smith or Apple products. What marketers have known for centuries is that we buy from a place of emotion, whether those emotions are negative or positive. So long as a brand appeals to the hearts and minds of those they want to sell to, they will have life long customers.

At first I felt as if I had been bamboozled by the marketers, who never had the best reputation to start with, but the more I researched the more I realized how natural this phenomenon truly was. Brands are not an external part of us but rather a representation of our inherent human inclination towards beliefs, stories, and feelings depicted by symbols; a concept as old as time itself. The only difference between a marketer and a tribal leader is that the marketer sells the belief in a product as opposed to a spiritual ideology.

My Why

I have dedicated my life to the creation, cultivation, and building of “Better Brands.” By now you may be asking yourself “what exactly is a Better Brand?” A Better Brand is a brand that is committed to making a positive impact on this planet through a message, product, or service.

For far too long, we have been sold on solutions to problems that we never truly had, directed towards products that do more harm than good, and persuaded to consume mental toxicity in the guise of “entertainment.” This is not a politically centered book nor is it a religious text, it is however a principle based piece of literature that will aid you in building a brand with the intention to improve the lives of those on this planet.

Many things in life are objective, but one thing that will remain subjective until the end of time is what is beneficial for us as people. We all want to be healthy, happy, and wealthy, we do not want to suffer from disease, poverty, or a lack of fulfillment.

A Better Brand is one that aims to meet or, at the very least, aid us in meeting one of these intrinsic needs. Whether it be replacing a can of sugar with a glass bottle of water or creating a biodegradable clothing line, a Better Brand can take many forms.

You do not have to be on a mission to feed the whole planet or reinvent an entire industry to be a Better Brand. You must however seek to change individual lives in a very real way. Building Better Brands is not a mission statement nor a catchy slogan, it is my reason for existing and so long as I live I will be dedicated to Building Better Brands.

Written by. Tinashe Hwande, Founder of Brand2BusinessBrand2Business

Edited by Tayla Hasselbach

Imagine sitting with your old college buddies conversing over the crazy days on campus when all of a sudden a salesman jumps in pitching his product prior to asking for the sale. If this seems unfathomable then think of it in a digital context. How many times have you scrolled through your feed or gone into your inbox and found a stranger trying to pitch their product to you? This may have come in the form of an ad or the most vile form of “marketing” on this planet, spam.

There are still companies and individuals out there who believe it is appropriate to sell their product to those who neither know nor care about their brand. This is why I drew a comparison of the stranger intruding in on a discussion among a circle of friends, asking for both your attention and your wallet.

When was the last time you saw Apple trying to sell their product in the same form and fashion as a janky salesmen out of a used car commercial? My guess is never.

This is because Apple has never taken a push approach as far as its own marketing, instead they had you fall in love with their brand identity and story before all else. Instead of throwing things at the wall and hoping they stuck, Apple was able to cultivate a loyal following through their brand narrative.

Apple took a different approach than a majority of companies by positioning itself as a high-end exclusive brand with a very high price point that only a few could afford and others would aspire for. Today, looking at Apple in a modern context, the last thing that probably crosses your mind is exclusivity because everyone seems to have one of their products glued to their hand. This, my friends, is the power of the pull.

By. Tinashe Hwande, Founder of Brand2Business

Edited by Tayla Hasselbach

Social media used to be a place that allowed us to connect with others in ways that once seemed impossible. It allowed us to direct message, create content, and share our every waking thought with the rest of the world (which led us to believe that everyone cared what we were thinking while sitting on the toilet).

For the first time in history, we were able to express our identities to the world beyond the confinement of our town, city, and state. A small town kid somewhere in the Midwest was granted the ability to create content that could reach a kid in the heart of Punjabi, India.

This form of digital interaction still remains consistent as its reach only increases, but, much like every other form of media, advertisers and marketers had to ruin it (I’m sorry). Advertisers realized that the eyes of the general public are no longer glued to TV screens as they once were and are now fixated on social media platforms.

This transition of attention led advertisers to make their own transition into the social media space, bringing along their old ideologies of seeking the sale first. Much like radio and television marketers, the majority of advertisements on social media have absolutely no value connected to them and seldom create an opportunity for true engagement, which are the two key components of SOCIAL media.

There is no problem with marketers sharing a space with the everyday person logging onto Facebook to watch cute elephant videos sent by their girlfriend, but the fact that they came into the space in such an abrasive manner is the heart of the issue. The advertisers of old acted like a rude guest barging into your home with nothing to offer and an extended hand waiting to receive.

Many advertisers came into the digital world with an old man’s paradigm of what advertising was, not understanding that the television infomercials of yesterday were not the best way to approach a social situation.

Imagine having a conversation with a group of friends and out of nowhere a guy jumps into your circle to pitch a product that none of you care about. In the real world, we would call him rude, obnoxious, and maybe even crazy, but in media spaces, we call them marketers.

Though targeted advertisements have become a huge factor in digital marketing, many marketers have not yet shifted to an interactive, “value first” approach. As marketers, advertisers, companies, and brands looking to gain exposure, we must begin to respect the social space for exactly what it is, a SOCIAL SPACE. Let’s add to the conversation instead of interjecting. Let’s talk to people instead of speaking at them. And most importantly, let’s give before seeking to receive.

By. Tinashe Hwande, Founder of Brand2Business

Edited by Tayla Hasselbach

Attention is one of the most valuable forms of currency in the age of the influencer. Yet, in the wrong hands, attention can be disruptive and at times destructive, which is why we must focus on giving value before seeking attention.

We have come to crave attention so much so that we will do just about anything to get it. Once we have it, however, we often do not know what to do with it. Attention is not the enemy, nor is it a vice; it is a vehicle and just like any vehicle it can be used to drive to a blissful beach or a barren desert.

Attention is a necessary component in building a brand for the simple fact that if somebody does not know you, they cannot be helped by you. But before stepping out into the world seeking attention, you must identify a clear and concise purpose for it. Having attention without purpose is like getting into a car and driving aimlessly with no destination.

It is better for your brand to go unknown than to have the world’s attention at the wrong time or for the wrong reasons.

You only get one chance to make a first impression and once you imprint on the minds of people, you will forever be remembered with that label. If you break your brand too fast, you may end up creating an unfavorable perception that you won’t want to live with for the long term.

Just ask anyone who has ever been the face of a meme. If you use “get famous quick” tactics to harness the attention of the masses, you will find yourself becoming the butt of every joke before stepping back into anonymity. It is not entirely impossible to rebrand yourself after gaining attention for the wrong reasons, however many people may not give you a second chance… so why place that burden on yourself?

Once you have identified your purpose, place your focus on connecting with your audience and giving value through your offerings. This will build your brand in a meaningful way.

By. Tinashe Hwande, Founder of Brand2Business

Edited by Tayla Hasselbach

If I were to create the “Ten Commandments of Brand Building,” my first commandment would be “Thou Shall Know Thy Audience.” Imagine trying to sell a steak dinner to a plant- based vegan or pitching the idea of a revolutionary French textbook to an English professor. I’ve seen far too many people delivering their message to the wrong audience and wondering why they’re not able to make any real impact, even over prolonged periods of time.

Though we ourselves deem our products and services valuable, if we do not direct them towards the right niche of people (those who also find them valuable), the road will be long and hard.

In order to connect to our intended audience with our specific brand message, we must first ensure that it is easy to understand. Do not try to teach your audience or introduce them to an idea they cannot concretely grasp; this concept is called brand positioning. Al Ries illustrates the power of brand positioning in the minds of customers in his New York Times Best Seller “Positioning.”

In the book, he describes how the human brain is compartmentalized on a need by need basis; for example one segment of the brain is responsible for thirst, another for hunger, another for entertainment, and so forth. Al uses the term “first to mind” throughout his writing, a term that refers to the first brand that comes to mind when a need arises.

Companies such as Nike and Coca Cola have known about brand positioning for decades as they have spent large sums of money to remain first in their customer’s minds. For example, in just about every Coca Cola ad, there is a subliminal message centered around the quenching of thirst, which is there to remind the customer that Coca Cola meets the need of thirst.

Most companies and individuals with novel ideas often have a tough time resonating with the public since the inherent need they meet may not be obvious at first glance. The more innovated and different the idea, the harder it is to sell. Though we say we want “something new,” what we often mean is we want an upgraded version of what we’re used to.

It would take an entire book to give you the step-by-step strategy needed to solidify your positioning in the minds of those you wish to serve. What I can give you in short, however, are the principles that will put you on the right track.

First, you must align your message with something familiar to the human experience, identify a need or desire shared by many. Next, voice why your brand can meet that need and fulfill that desire in a way nothing else has. Lastly, distinguish the nuances of your brand to the audience that pays attention to your message, speak directly to the unique individuals of your demographic and make a true connection.

To know thy audience means to know the needs of humans and how to meet those needs. Once you know how to meet those needs, you must seek to understand the unique psychology of your audience.

Though we all have the same basic needs, our life experiences create variations in how to we seek to fulfill those needs. As a brand builder, it is your job to know your audience as much as they know themselves and show empathy through offering your solution for their challenges.

By. Tinashe Hwande, Founder of Brand2Business

Edited by Tayla Hasselbach

My fitness mentor and close friend, Coach Bobby Bluford, once told me that it’s better to not show up to a workout than to show face and give a half hearted effort. This lone statement changed my entire stance on what it takes to be successful in any aspect of life.

For a long time, I believed that “half of the battle was showing up,” but, in reality, most of my “showing up” was a feel good effort, a way to rationalize my lack luster efforts. To believe that all you have to do is show up is the equivalent of believing that all you have to do is buy the ingredients to create a delicious meal.

Ideas are a dime a dozen and if you go to the average person on the street, you will likely hear about their incredible world changing ideas. But if you ask them what actions they are taking towards those ideas, you will soon realize that most people are not willing to take steps towards achieving their ultimate goals.

To build a Better Brand, you must spend less time thinking and almost all of your time taking the necessary actions for growth. If Phil Knight had stayed in his dorm room twiddling his thumbs with the ingenious idea of creating the largest running shoe company of this century and the last, chances are Nike would have never came to be.

Or what if Steve Jobs had never returned to his California home after his travels to India where he sought his purpose? Odds are this book would have never been created, or maybe just on a Dell or HP.

Do not let your doubts, fears, and insecurities stop your forward momentum. You can only strategize so much without taking action before it becomes pointless. It is far better to take a step and trip up than to wait another year to take that step, at least then you will know where the wet spots are. Building a Better Brand comes down to exactly that… BUILDING. So let’s start building.

By. Tinashe Hwande, Founder of Brand2Business

Edited by Tayla Hasselbach

Value is the determining factor on whether a brand will be successful or fall through the cracks of anonymity after its newness wares off. If you are not creating value for those you

seek to inspire into action, you will be met with apathy, a brand’s worst enemy. Seeing that a brand is an emotional quotient, if you cannot connect to your audience on an emotional level and truly meet a need in their life, you will always miss the mark.

You cannot base impact on how many people are staring, but on how many are impacted. The best way to gauge how you are truly impacting people’s lives and how much value they are receiving is by the type of comments and personal messages you receive.

When I ran my comedy page, I remember receiving direct messages from people telling me how funny I was on an almost daily basis. Fast forward to today, I now have a third of the following and receive less than half of the engagement, yet the depth and breadth of responses I receive demonstrate an impact much deeper than a few superficial laughs.

I was able to sell twelve E-Books with six hundred followers and two Instagram posts. This may not sound like much at all, but it was a testament that I was making enough of an impact on twelve individuals for them to trade their hard earned money for a piece of value that I co-created.

With my comedy page, on the other hand, I couldn’t get ten people to follow the free blog site I had at that time. This goes to show that true influence has to do with an authentic connection. When you are able to relieve another’s pain or solve another’s problem or, at the very least, help them to solve their own, they will always reward you with their time, attention, and money.

Shift your focus from the amount of followers you have and zone in on the constant value you are creating for the one, three, or five people that have chosen to give you their most precious asset.

Do not take a single person for granted as you begin to impact more people. The numbers will always grow so long as you are giving something of value. True brand building is not for everyone. If you are too focused on what you will get, your own popularity, or how many people like your posts, you will forever chase an imaginary figure and never make the impact necessary for people to fall in love with your brand.

By. Tinashe Hwande, Founder of Brand2Business

Edited by Tayla Hasselbach

As I dove into the world of the influencer, I started to break down my old beliefs on what actually made someone influential. Raised in the age of the digital superstar, I thought that followers made a personal brand influential; little did I know that this was an insignificant part of the equation.

In my old paradigm, I thought the value of a brand was based on the number of people who were tuning in, as opposed to the value being delivered to them. I’ve since realized that the amount of followers one has has no significance on the influence he actually holds in real life, nor will it impact her ability to sustain a brand that people love.

Yet today there are still people in the digital space who are so desperate for followers that they would rather purchase bots (robotic followers) than invest the sweat equity necessary to build a true community.

Instead of viewing your follower count as just a number, remember that behind every “follower” is a human being who either believes in your message or opposes what you stand for. Assuming that all of your social media followers are real, you must ask yourself this question: “if I wasn’t me, would I follow me? and why would I do so?”

Though this may seem like a strange question, it will allow you to step into the shoes of those who interact with you in order to see if you are making a true connection or are merely a spectacle.

The more you connect with the people behind the number and truly deliver change, the more trust you will build. As you will soon learn, people buy from those they know, like, and trust, as opposed to those with the most clout.

By. Tinashe Hwande, Founder of Brand2Business

Edited by Tayla Hasselbach

The success of the Civil Rights movement was largely due to attention and Martin Luther King Jr’s ability to tap into its true potential. The difference between an MLK Jr and a Boonk, however, is the way they utilized their attention.

MLK knew that he needed attention in order to get the world’s spotlight on the racial issues within the United States. As we sit here today, we can see how his efforts were not in vain. MLK’s brand will forever be remembered as a representation of peace, unity, and positive change, whereas Boonk will not be remembered after this generation.

This is not to point fingers at Boonk the individual or to praise MLK alone, but rather to show you the power of attention and how it can have such different outcomes depending on who wields it.

There are thousands of personal brands that have come and gone in the name of vanity, from reality television stars to power hungry politicians. However, those that last in the hearts and minds of the people are those whose cause is greater than themselves.

Whether you are sharing your talents, delivering a product to change lives, or spreading positivity through your experiences, the easiest way to gauge if your brand is purpose driven is to ask yourself this question: “is my brand about me or is it bigger than me?”

You don’t have to be Ghandi or Mother Teresa to make an impact, nor do you have to have a vision of changing a nation’s legislation or freeing a country from the reign of dictators to be purpose driven, you simply have to have other’s needs in the forefront.

In the age of the influencer, a YouTube star can easily have the same social influence as a politician, which means it is more important than ever to remember why we are doing what we are doing. Are you driven by a purpose bigger than yourself or do you want to be famous because you believe it will fill the void?

By. Tinashe Hwande, Founder of Brand2Business

Edited by Tayla Hasselbach

I was raised with a notion that a brand was an overly done logo accompanied by a catchy slogan that often preceded a corny advertisement. Never before had I entertained the idea that a person could be a brand. Unless we were talking about a livestock farmer in the 1800s, the idea of branding a living being was far removed from my paradigm. Ironically enough, I grew up in an era where the personal brand was becoming the most prominent force within all of pop culture… the ‘90s.

I remember seeing the early commercials for Jordans otherwise known as “Michael Jordan’s overly priced basketball shoes.” At the time, I would have never guessed that Nike was using Michael Jordan’s “personal brand” to sell sneakers. As a child, I believed that MJ had created the shoes himself and was selling them to the public. Little did I know, he was just the face of a new product Nike had launched, knowing that his name alone would draw in basketball fans and sneaker heads alike.

Jordan was not alone in the endorsement craze that took over the entirety of entertainment during the late 1900s and early 2000s. There were rappers selling soda pops and singers selling Carl’s Jr. burgers. Almost every commercial during this period was some rendition of a celebrity giving their stamp of approval to a product that was more than likely not good for us.

Only in later years did I realize how companies have been leveraging the influence of entertainers for decades. Even in ’50s sitcoms like “The Andy Griffith Show,” companies like Coca Cola placed their products in the middle of shows, literally stopping the dialogue to speak on the product as if they were apart of Jim Carey’s “The Truman Show.”

The deeper I stepped into marketing, the more I realized how most shows, movies, sporting events, etc. are essentially advertising campaigns on steroids. Just think of every random jump-cut in a movie showing the “Ford” or “Dodge” symbol as a car weaves through traffic, bursts through flames, and survives thirteen rolls with nothing more than a few dents. And what better way to cap off your in-movie Dodge commercial than with a clip of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson looking off into the distance with his signature eyebrow raise? We’ve been sold on products without the slightest idea.

It then dawned on me that personal brands are more prevalent than company brands, holding more power than the companies behind them. Company brands like Nike realized that they could spread their influence throughout society by leveraging the influence of dozens of world renowned athletes. What mattered more to Nike than getting a famous person to wear their attire was signing a person with a connection to their fans within a given space, someone who could tap into the emotions of their fans and sell them a pair of overpriced shoes.

In essence, these billion dollar corporations realized that they could connect to people through individuals that they respected. If some overweight, middle-aged, suit wearing Nike executive showed up on a commercial and told us to buy his product, we would shut our ears and roll our eyes.

However, if Michael Jordan told us to buy his new basketball shoes, we would immediately jump at the opportunity or, at the very least, entertain the idea because of his influence in sports as a whole.

For decades, brands such as Nike have known how to rattle our emotions by utilizing those we feel connected to, understanding that we would never connect to a company without a face. People relate to people more than they relate to logos, this is why people are and will always be the most powerful brands.

By. Tinashe Hwande, Founder of Brand2Business

Edited by Tayla Hasselbach