My wife goes to a workout studio that originally described themselves as a “Boot Camp” – a term that my wife understood and was comfortable using to explain and promote the place to her friends. She recently told me that the studio changed their description to “something long and convoluted but apparently more accurate, that they’ve told me several times, but I can’t remember.”

Since I help write and develop brand strategy for my clients, this anecdote seemed a perfect example of an issue I see a lot. Businesses get too preoccupied with trying to describe themselves with such precision that they miss the point of marketing – COMMUNICATION. It is often much more important that your brand message be clear rather than accurate. When considering your brand you also need to consider your positioning, and this means describing yourself in terms that your audience is already comfortable with, and paint a picture that is easily understood and easily reiterated.