What is a Brand Manifesto?

Show your people why they should care

A manifesto is defined as “a public declaration of intentions, opinions, objectives, or motives, as one issued by a government, soverign, or organization”.

In other words, a manifesto is where you draw a line in the sand. It’s a combination of value statements and promises and helps people know what they’re in for if they come into your sphere. A great manifesto expresses the beliefs that you won’t back down on and gives your audience a benchmark to hold your brand accountable.

A manifesto is a powerful and concise statement about what your business believes. It expresses the essence of your brand and helps your audience answer the question, “Why should I care?”

It’s you, not me

When I help clients identify their brand values, I always ask if they could hold them even if it was a competitive disadvantage to do so. Writing a manifesto falls into the same bucket. These are gritty, sometimes polarizing statements that articulate the very heart of your brand.

This is where a lot of entrepreneurs fall down. They confuse what they care about with what their audience cares about. I could write a manifesto that says I like cheese and Netflix but that does nothing to express the beliefs of my brand. While I might make some friends who in turn could possibly hire me, odds are better that I will just confuse everyone about what (if anything) sets my business apart. My likes are, sadly, forgettable. 

At the end of the day, a brand manifesto serves a higher calling. It’s not a list of your favourite things; it’s a rallying cry and a line in the sand. It describes your vision for the world and allows your perfect people to join you on a mission to achieve it.

Create your own

If you want to create your own brand manifesto, here are some questions to get you started:

Good luck with your brand manifesto! If you’re struggling to pull your brand together, I can help.