By Maria Brasil, Founder at Essence Branding
"Observing life with the humility of a learner and the mindset of an artist" can be the key to unlocking the most authentic essence of an individual, situation, or organization. Whether as businessmen, leaders, students, or lovers, an appreciative look at things allows us to broaden our perception and refine our ability to capture the most subtle elements of the human experience. Capturing the unspoken requires sensitivity and empathy, but it requires presence. This element underpins the whole process, as it allows our senses to sharpen and our lenses to purify themselves because, at that moment, nothing else matters or comes to the fore except the observed subject.
By looking at life with this mindset, we can perceive all that is "between the lines," the unexpressed emotions, and the multiple nuances of communication. This is a valuable attribute in any context, whether personal or professional. In a company, for example, capturing the emotions and feelings not expressed by individuals can be crucial to understanding team dynamics and identifying opportunities for improvement.
As a branding specialist, my job is to transform these details into a tangible and concrete narrative that testifies to the "soul" of an organization. The brand, therefore, is forged from the purest manifestation of the essence of this business, and its visual and verbal identity is just the tip of a much deeper iceberg, which harbors a dense layer of emotions, sensations, and experiences below the surface. That gives meaning to the whole. To capture this essence, you must dive deep and genuinely connect with the individuals who make it up. This process takes time and dedication, but the results are priceless.
With this approach, it is possible to develop an authentic and impactful brand that conveys to customers and employees what is genuinely sacred: what cannot be seen but is deeply felt. Branding is the process of capturing and distilling the soul of an organization into tangible and meaningful expression.
If you want your brand to be authentic and impactful, you need to look beyond appearances and understand the essence that defines it. Doing so can convey to your customers and employees what is genuinely sacred: what cannot be seen but is deeply felt.