Years ago, the late Sam Cooke offered fellow soul singer Bobby Womack some advice that applies to brands as well as songs. Cooke said that if people could sing along with a song, it stood a much better chance of becoming a hit. A song with a lot of vocal acrobatics might be appreciated, Cooke noted, but was less likely to become a classic. The same is true with your brand. If people can relate to everything about your company — your products, your people, your marketing — on an instinctive, personal level, your brand will run very deep with those folks. Make it too complicated, and while people may admire you, they won’t love you. And you want people to love your brand. Make it a melody anyone can sing.
