If you look around your home or office, chances are you’ll see a product that has been influenced by Alan Siegel. The founder of the New York–based strategic branding company Siegel+Gale and author of Alan Siegel on Branding and Clear Communications has established himself as a singular authority on brand management and the power of simple strategic communication. FuelNet chatted with Siegel about the importance of creating a strong corporate brand identity with a clear and persuasive voice.

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FuelNet: How would you define branding in today’s marketplace?
Siegel: When I first got into this business, it was called the identity business, and I think that’s a much more appropriate term than branding. A corporation is more than just a product or service; it’s an employer, a member of the community, and an investment. If you’re dealing with a company, you want to know what it stands for. Does it make a good product or offer a good service? Is it a good place to work? That’s a corporate identity — a much deeper and more accurate description.

FuelNet: In a saturated media market, how can you make your messages stand out?
Siegel: First, offer a product or service that has genuine value. Next, establish a brand identity of who you are and why others would like to do business with you. Then, deliver on that promise. Develop a clever and consistent way to communicate your brand identity to rise above the noise of the marketplace.

FuelNet: Is that what you refer to in your book as a “corporate voice”?
Siegel: Yes, it’s a fusion of many things — the company itself, the messages you convey, and the consistency of the messages. It’s a distinct identity that reflects both your products and your point of view as a company.

FuelNet: You’ve said that brand identity is more than just a message; it has to permeate throughout the company as shared values, from the president on down.
Siegel: Yes, it’s also behavior. It’s what you say as well as what you do. It really stands for something. Survey your employees and ask them what they really know about their company’s identity.

FuelNet: This sounds like a very complicated message to develop.
Siegel: Not at all. I believe in simplicity. Any business proposition should be very simple and very understandable. That’s one effective way to rise above all the noise of the marketplace — clarity of thought and clarity of presentation.

FuelNet: You have a long-standing interest in photography. Is there any connection there to your emphasis on simplicity?
Siegel: The essence of photography is being able to capture something in one image. An idea should also be able to be captured in one image — simply, beautifully, and elegantly. That’s how I look at the world.

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