Unforgettable

Is your brand truly unforgettable? Or could it just as easily belong to your competition? In this episode of The Briefcase, Elizabeth Sutherland, President & CEO of Sutherland Weston Marketing Communications, shares why a distinct brand voice and look are essential for standing out.
Many businesses rely on generic messaging:  “We put the customer first” or “We’re committed to great service.”  These phrases do little to differentiate a brand. Elizabeth introduces a simple yet powerful test: Remove your logo from your website, ads, or marketing materials—would people still recognize it as yours? If not, it’s time to refine your brand’s voice, visuals, and messaging.
💡 What you'll learn:
 – Your brand should have a distinct, ownable look and voice that sets you apart.
 –  Generic messaging makes your brand forgettable—ditch the clichés and focus on what makes you unique.
 –  A simple test: Remove your logo from your marketing materials. Do customers still know it’s you?
Don’t forget to be unforgettable!  

Elizabeth Sutherland is President and CEO at Sutherland Weston, where she has led strategy and brand development for the past twenty years. She helps Maine-based companies connect their brand, marketing, and sales efforts in practical, profitable ways.

Got a question?  Reach out to the Sutherland Weston team at sutherlandweston.com. 

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
Your brand needs to have a distinctvoice and an ownable look that

(00:03):
makes it unmistakably yours.
This is the Briefcase from SutherlandWeston Marketing Communications.
Quick conversations from everydayobservations, delivering practical
marketing ideas you can carry with you.
I'm Elizabeth Sutherland.
I'm president and.
CEO at Sutherland Weston MarketingCommunications unforgettable.

(00:26):
When Nat King Cole sang the songUnforgettable, it was unforgettable.
That's what you are.
When Natalie Cole sang the duetafter his passing, unforgettable,
some thought that was unforgivable.
No dear.
But still, the song is unforgettableand it's important for businesses

(00:46):
and organizations to make themselves.
Unforgettable.
Not only unforgettable,Ric, but also personal.
You need to make sure that yourbusiness looks and feels and sounds
like you and not like your competition.
Here's a simple test that alot of businesses are failing.
If I removed your logo from yourwebsite or your newspaper ad or your

(01:09):
digital ad, would anyone still knowit's you or could it be your competitor?
Wow, that is powerful.
So how do we stop ourselvesfrom becoming invisible?
Yeah.
So it's important to remember that genericmessaging is the enemy of a strong brand.
A lot of marketing can sound the same.
We've all heard we're committedto great service, or we put the

(01:33):
customer first, blah, blah, blah.
Right?
Your brand needs to have a distinctvoice and an ownable look that
makes it unmistakably yours.
So let me take you back to that.
Remove your logo exercise.
Once you do that, if it could belong toanyone, it's time for you to consider your
brand voice, visuals, and your messaging.

(01:55):
Tighten them up, make themdistinctly yours, and then
go out and conquer the world.
Does it have to be an entire rebrand?
Absolutely not.
It just needs to be somethingthat can be imprinted in your
potential customer's minds.
To make sure your marketing, your brandis unforgettable with or without the logo.

(02:23):
You have been listening tothe Briefcase from Sutherland
Weston Marketing Communications.
Got a question for theSutherland Weston team.
Email us at sutherlandweston com.