Communication is the most important skill in life and seeking first to understand another person’s view in order to best put your view forward helps cultivate relationships, build a sense of togetherness and respect.

When each member in a team is viewed as unique based on strength, points of view and knowledge. It creates an environment where people are comfortable taking reasonable risks in communicating, advocating positions, and taking action.

It gives them reason to keep coming back for more because they already built confidence and acceptance that there is no replacement for your brand, thereby making your brand a charismatic brand.

“A charismatic brand is any product, service, or organization for which people believe there’s no substitute” – Marty Neumeier

Whether your brand symbolizes passion, fun or confidence, it must communicate the experience your customers will have and what you want their perception of you to be. A good brand allows you to have a clear message, which tells customers who you are and why they should choose you. However, the customer experience it creates is what will keep customers coming back and telling their friends about you, good or bad.

Your brand is as unique as you are, and taking the time to identify and build it will help set you and your business apart.

Colour is the very first perception customers will have with your brand, and along with perception comes a whole host of emotional associations which in turn create a strong brand recognition.

Colours and Brands are intimately connected because colour gives an immediate approach for passing on meaning and message without words. They also serve as a wheel that drives your brand into getting its recognition.

When creating colour palette for your brand, you must firstly find out which colours represent your industry or reflect the emotion you want your brand to convey. Secondly, choose the right blend of colors that differentiates your brand from competitors to avoid confusion.

Creative thinking is characterized by a relaxed, open and playful approach. It is less ordered or structured than critical thinking but the application of both approaches to your subject area enriches and deepens your learning experiences.

Creative Thinking involves engaging in reflection and looking for many possible solutions rather than one while critical thinking requires evidence and following evidence where it leads.

Both skills are important and neither is superior. In fact, the exclusion of one during a problem solving process or decision making leads to decline in effectiveness.

Conversations are great opportunities for people to bond over shared information and interests. Listening to what your audience care about, causes they support and who influences them have significant impact on your brand.

A good way for brands to understand how the public perceive them is the use of Social Listening Tools such as Hootsuite, TweetReach etc. These tools help to gather and analyze data in ways that enable you to know your customers better and improve your marketing strategy.

A brand is the totality of all the different perceptions of its audience. Creating a meaning for a brand is important in building its perceptions. It should care about the needs, wants, likes and dislikes of its audience; and develop a connection

Checking out demographic and psychographic information about your target audience provides insight into their lifestyle and activities they engage in. This helps to find a common ground that matches with product offerings.

A brand must stand for something important to its audience by sharing values and interacting consistently with them. It must always be available to respond swiftly to questions, queries and requests from audience at all times.

For instance, warm colours such as red, yellow and orange instantly stir up feelings of hunger, energy or excitement. Most fast food joints or restaurants integrate these colours to attract customers to their products, stir up quick hunger and create fun during consumption. Cool colours such as green, blue and purple depict health, honesty and royalty respectively.

It is therefore essential to understand the psychological effects colours might have on your target audience and how a slight difference in contrast or tone can affect your brand perception.