The SISU Brand Voice & Personality
Written by Thomas Richards, SISU co-owner
We are blessed at SISU to have a wide breadth of people from different backgrounds, professions, and skill sets. One person that’s had a major impact on our business is Mike Buchner. Mike worked at Fallon for 35 years, spending his last seven as the CEO and the last year as the chairman. Fallon is one of the leading advertising firms in the country – representing brands such as Arby’s, Pepsi and BMW.
Mike is a brand and advertising guru. He’s a part of our Board of Advisors and offered to help us narrow our marketing message and develop a true Brand Personality. According to Mike, “A brand voice guides how a company behaves and communicates in the world. If done correctly, it should inform behavior in almost every aspect of your business and define who you are for and who you aren’t. Importantly, a brand voice needs to come from an undeniable brand truth in order to be effective.”
We sat down with Mike for an afternoon of brainstorming our favorite brands – why we like them, how they communicate, and what message they convey. After a few hours of direction from Mike, we started tossing out words that mean a lot to our business — words and actions that really define who we are.
We came up with four powerful categories
- Challenging: Our workouts will push your boundaries.
- Gritty: No mirrors. No machines. No frills. No shortcuts.
- Cult: Like-minded fitness and wellness fanatics.
- Fun: Time spent with us will be the best hour of your day.
These four words really encapsulate everything we want people to experience at SISU. Our workouts are going to be tough, but fair. You will be challenged, and you will have to work hard. You’re going to be surrounded by a group of people that care about you and want you to get better. And we promise that you’re going to have fun doing it!
Within each of these categories are DOs and DON’Ts that reflect behavior, communication, messaging, imaging — everything that we want SISU to be and what we represent. Read through the full Brand Voice below and let us know what you think. Which items do you feel represents SISU and your relationship with us?
