Tall ships on Cannes Beach at sunset

In 2018 I had one of the best vacations of my life, I was fortunate enough to participate in an international retreat for a fitness activity that I love. Although I didn’t know anyone else there when I arrived, there were 800 people with a common interest staying at a beautiful relaxing resort.

We were able to exercise and relax, meet new people, and also get business and marketing advice as part of the information sessions. On the final day there was a very special presentation by the founder of this fitness group, and he said something I found interesting but at the same time very important.*

Sometimes this organisation partners with big name celebrities and musicians in order to generate publicity, views on YouTube, likes on Twitter and so on. This is a common marketing practice, and I’ve watched some of those videos myself. What I didn’t realise is that some participants are so passionate about the fitness hobby / business, they then go on social media and complain about the celebrities and singers not doing ‘real’ fitness moves. Or the music in the videos is just pop music, not the ‘real’ music for the classes. They are so passionate about the details, they unwittingly publicly undermine the larger plan. Our guest presenter said:

“We are doing this for YOU. To get publicity, to get attention, to spike interest, and ultimately bring people through the doors of YOUR classes. We love your passion, we love your enthusiasm, but please don’t be so focused on the details that you miss the big picture. Sometimes we have to do things and make decisions that may not make sense to you, but at the end of the day, our worldwide marketing plan is all about every one of you.”

And he is correct. To those of us who work in marketing and communications every day, we understand exactly what is happening. It never even occurred to me that this strategy had to be articulated. But of course, most people do not have marketing experience and that is why they need assistance from a marketing team or a head office. Some people learned that there is a marketing strategy behind every decision, and I learned that not everyone understands those strategies.

My take-away is that I will work hard on making my own marketing strategies more accessible for those who need to understand them. Don’t let them get so bogged down in the details that they miss the big picture. That sounds like a great resolution for 2019!

This photo is also about the bigger picture. The tall ships were far out from the beach, and the bird is right in front of me. But together - they look fantastic. You would never know there is a huge distance between them.

*My involvement is purely out of interest, I did the training so I could understand it better and be the best I could be. I don’t run classes, but I want to learn more about the international marketing side of the organisation.

Business vs Brand

A business sells products or services.
A brand builds meaning.

Understanding the difference sounds simple, but it changes everything — especially for anyone working in communications or strategic engagement. A business focuses on transactions. A brand focuses on relationships, trust and long-term connection. Engagement is the space where those things are created and reinforced.

More than logos, fonts and colours

Brand identity isn’t just visual design — it’s the reputation people form through every interaction, every conversation, and every decision you make. Strategic engagement strengthens that identity by ensuring those interactions feel consistent, credible and human. It’s how expectations are shaped, how trust is earned, and how people decide whether they want to come back.

A business tells people what it does.
A brand shows people who it is.

A client who needed her own voice

Recently, I worked with a client who owned several franchises of a national women’s gym chain. She was smart, driven and deeply committed to women’s health — and she wanted to expand her profile into media commentary: a trusted voice on women’s fitness, wellbeing and empowerment.

The challenge was clear: her personal voice needed to be distinct from the brand she represented, even though her day-to-day work lived inside it. The franchise had its own tone, its own identity and its own messaging framework. If she simply echoed that, she would remain invisible as an individual expert.

We worked together to articulate her perspective — what she believed, what she wanted to influence, and what she stood for beyond the franchise environment. That clarity became the foundation of her personal brand. Over time, her public identity grew: less about the business she operated and more about her expertise in women’s fitness and wellbeing more broadly.

The business supported her.
But the brand was her. 

Where brand really lives

Your brand is the experience people have when they work with you. It’s the story they tell afterwards. It’s how they describe you when you’re not in the room.

Not the logo.
Not the palette.
Not the tagline.

The feeling.

A business keeps the doors open.
A brand keeps people coming back — and brings others with them.

So ask yourself: what does your brand say about you, your work, and the experience you create?

A simple comparison I often use when discussing identity, trust and engagement.