.bodytext {float: left; } .floatimg-left-hort { float:left; margin-top:10px; margin-right: 10px; width:300px; clear:left;} .floatimg-left-caption-hort { float:left; margin-bottom:10px; width:300px; margin-right:10px; clear:left;} .floatimg-left-vert { float:left; margin-top:10px; margin-right:15px; width:200px;} .floatimg-left-caption-vert { float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px; font-size: 10px; width:200px;} .floatimg-right-hort { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 300px;} .floatimg-right-caption-hort { float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 300px; font-size: 10px; } .floatimg-right-vert { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 200px;} .floatimg-right-caption-vert { float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 200px; font-size: 10px; } .floatimgright-sidebar { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 200px; border-top-style: double; border-top-color: black; border-bottom-style: double; border-bottom-color: black;} .floatimgright-sidebar p { line-height: 115%; text-indent: 10px; } .floatimgright-sidebar h4 { font-variant:small-caps; } .pullquote { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 150px; background: url(http://www.dmbusinessdaily.com/DAILY/editorial/extras/closequote.gif) no-repeat bottom right !important ; line-height: 150%; font-size: 125%; border-top: 1px solid; border-bottom: 1px solid;} .floatvidleft { float:left; margin-bottom:10px; width:325px; margin-right:10px; clear:left;} .floatvidright { float:right; margin-bottom:10px; width:325px; margin-right:10px; clear:left;} Remember having one of those whip rod flags on the back of your bicycle when you were a kid?

I’m sure they were created to improve bike safety, but they quickly became the cyclist’s expression of self.

You might be drawn to your favorite sports team or color. Other kids went to cool designs or size.

And you didn’t fly a flag that didn’t fit you. No guy would be caught dead with a pink Barbie flag. You knew if a guy was on a bike with one of those flags, it was his sister’s bike! The flags were more than decoration. They were a declaration. “This is what I’m about.”

Although we didn’t know it, we were learning some very important lessons about branding as we selected and flew our bike flags.

Your brand is your flag. No matter what kind of a storm your organization endures or how quickly you are changing directions, your flag is visible to everyone: your employees, your customers, your potential customers. And they’re going to keep an eye on that flag.

Your potential customers will be able to spot your brand and decide if they want to come to where you are. There’s no reason for them to engage with you if your flag is neon orange and they’re really more of a beige buyer.

For your customers and employees, your brand flag reassures them that you’re honoring your brand.They can come to you with confidence, knowing that they’re going to get that consistent experience they’ve come to expect.

So as you think about your brand, remember that it is going to wave high over your organization. Choose your flag carefully.

Drew McLellan is Top Dog at McLellan Marketing Group and blogs at www.drewsmarketingminute.com. He can be reached at Drew@MclellanMarketing.com. © 2007 Drew McLellan