Whether you are an entrepreneur with an innovative start-up or a C-suite executive leading a blue-chip company, “walking the talk” with a strong core message is critical to both your individual success as well as the business’s success.

Mitt Romney appeared on Good Morning America yesterday and was asked about mistakes he wouldn’t repeat, or what he had learned with his last political campaign. He said it well when he replied, “First and foremost is to make sure  that your message gets through….that you don’t get diverted by all the daily events that occur and speak out on every possible topic….but instead focus on the things you care most deeply about.”

As you campaign for your own individual success or are charged with the task of advancing the corporate brand, it is important to stay focused on a core message.

What is it that you stand for and how is it that you do things differently?  What is so inherent in your corporate mission that it drives everything? 

So often, people try to be all things to all people. In response to requests to take on jobs, small businesse owners can get caught up in a Staples mentality …”Yeah, we’ve got that….”  But at the end of the day, when taking on everything and anything… or  failing to focus on your core message, the overall strength of the brand is diluted. 

Harnessing an effective signature brand requires you to assess your strengths and weaknesses, have an awareness of the threats within your core industry, and grab hold of the opportunities that await someone with your unique personal brand.

When you master the art of developing a strong core message or personal brand, ….those things that you care most deeply about as Romney said…reaching that next level of business or attaining that next measure of success is easier.

When companies approach their brand building initiatives, the ideal place to start is to define what is truly inherent in “the brand.”  For entrepreneurs, this may require you to go back to the days when your business was a passionate endeavor that you ran out of your garage or basement office.  Nonprofit marketers may need to pull out the first mission statement to glean insight into what the Association’s brand stands for. 

What were the benefits that you originally infused in your service when you launched your business?  What were the characteristics of your product that set it apart from the competition? Once you have these qualities and characteristics in the front of your mind, then you can begin to hone the brand that you intended. 

Too often, companies launch a brand, only to have it morphed into something that was an outgrowth of business practices fueled by a reactive business plan. This concept always brings to mind the Staples commercial, “Yeah, we’ve got that…”

Do you run your company in a reactive, “knee-jerk response” to inquiries? If so, you may be reading this and thinking that you have strayed too far from your initial powerhouse brand.

Have you lost your way? If the answer is “yes,” then I recommend that you return to your roots. What are the inherent characteristics and benefits of your brand that first attracted people to it? 

By way of example, Starbucks is a brand that revolutionized the way people bought and enjoyed a cup of Joe.  But as the “coffee on the go” market exploded with competitors trying to mimic and capitalize on Starbucks’ star quality, their brand got lost in the brew. 

Today, Starbucks is reminded of the benefits that drove the initial venues – the sense of community and connection you get hanging out chatting over a great cup of Joe.

In what could be viewed as the marriage of the best of Cheers, where “everyone knows your name,” and the highlights of the set of Friends – where sitting on a couch in a coffee shop not only produced great conversation but great relationships- Starbucks’ holiday marketing initiative now touts a tagline, “I talked to a stranger once for an hour over coffee. We’re not strangers any longer.”

Reconnect with your brand today. Don’t be a stranger to the benefits and qualities that keep your product or service percolating in the minds of your customers.

During the first week of January business owners everywhere return to their offices charged with enthusiasm and New Year’s resolutions.  But how many of those corporate executives are given a road map to execute those resolutions in order to grow their brand?

Do you recall the story of the three Magi who packed enthusiasm and wonder on their way to Jerusalem? Their course was mapped out brightly with a brilliant star.

Today’s entrepreneurs and corporate professionals who want to market their brand need to look within to find their brilliance. The brilliance that is inherent in all of us will lead us on the path we need to travel in order to execute a marketing plan and differentiate ourselves from our competitors.

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, How I Wonder What You Are

Don’t leave your customers wondering what it is that you are.  Focusing your attention on those qualities that set you apart – your areas of strength and brilliance- will allow you to bring the greatest value to your clients. This will come to be your brand identity.

Market your way to success in 2010 by communicating a corporate message that echoes not only what you do the best – but how you do it, too.

Carve out your own road map to those areas which will give you the greatest growth potential by focusing on the unique benefits your products and services bring to your customers.

Then you can be your own shining star.