Warmth is an essential factor in a winning brand. We instinctively look for someone to smile at us. Think about babies. What makes a baby smile? Another smile.
Nothing replaces the power of a genuine smile.
Chances are, someone on your team has a fabulous smile combined with a great attitude and work ethic. This is a winning combination for sure! Not only do they work for you and excel in their role, they have a smile that represents your company in a genuine, powerful way. As a Brand Manager, I’ve always looked out for that smile. It comes from the most unsuspecting people.
Like Steve-O, a labourer whose smiling face was the first thing you saw on the homepage of our very first website. His face remained on our homepage for years, even after he moved on. There were times we were tempted to replace his picture with a photo of a great job we did or the products we sold. Yet the image of Steve-O’s smiling face told the customer we were an approachable company that cared about our employees and their satisfaction at work, as well as our interactions with our customers. Real smiles show authenticity and a human connection. That’s fuel for brand building.
We’ve found some great smiles on our employees over the years…one was a young Australian man working here on a temporary visa. He felt very proud to see himself on a large format vinyl decal on the back of a commercial box truck, advertising our company throughout the Okanagan.
Don’t be tempted to pay for a Shutterstock smile. Find a person on your team with a great smile and ask them how they feel about representing your brand!
