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#004

The Brand Tree Method (Part 2): The Branches That Bear Fruit

May 10, 2025 / Read time: 4 minutes

From Invisible to Irresistible: Structuring a Visible Brand Identity, values, and operations—here’s where the brand comes to life.

Why Brands Break Down

In many companies, the core purpose might be well understood, even inspiring. But as the organization grows, something gets lost in translation. The essence doesn't consistently show up in how the brand is presented, how people behave, or how operations unfold.

That’s because the internal purpose needs external expression. Roots are essential, but they don’t make the tree visible. What makes a brand tangible and impactful is how it branches out into the world.

From Core to Surface: The Next Three Elements

In the Brand Tree Method, we now move from the unseen to the seen. These are the elements that give your brand visibility, consistency, and executional power.

4. Bark (Values)
The bark protects the trunk. It’s the brand’s values that protect its culture and guide behavior.

Values define how a brand acts. They serve as a protective filter, keeping behavior aligned with the brand’s promise. Just as bark safeguards the tree from external threats, values help maintain internal consistency, especially in times of challenge or growth.

To define values well, you need to look at both the founder’s intentions and the team’s shared behaviors.

5. Branches (Identity)
Branches extend the trunk into distinct directions, creating space for growth. In the Brand Tree, this represents identity.

A brand’s identity is how it becomes recognizable and differentiated. It includes visual elements, tone of voice, and every other sensory cue that helps people experience the brand.

Each product, service, or business unit might grow as a branch from the same trunk, but all must connect clearly back to the core purpose and attributes.

6. Leaves (Operation)
Leaves are where the tree feeds and breathes. They turn sunlight into energy. In branding, this is operation.

Operations are how the brand delivers on its promises. From production to customer service, it’s the set of internal systems that take vision and values and turn them into real-world outcomes.

Just as leaves use photosynthesis to sustain the tree, brand operations convert strategy into consistent action.

Practical Reflection

Look at your brand as it appears in the market:

Are your values explicitly defined and consistently practiced?
Can your customers easily recognize and describe your identity?
Do your operations reflect your brand promise at every touchpoint?

Brands become real when they go beyond ideas. These three elements—values, identity, and operation—bridge the gap between purpose and perception.

Up Next: Flowers, Bees, and Fruits

In the next edition of My Self Startup, we’ll explore how your brand expresses its personality, attracts amplification, and delivers its tangible offers:

Flowers (Personality)
Bees (Irradiation)
Fruits (Products/Offers)

These are the expressive, connective, and functional outputs of a well-structured brand. See you next Saturday as we explore how your brand blooms, connects, and delivers.

For today, that's it. See you next Saturday.

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In under 10 minutes, explore the key ideas from this edition — designed for those who absorb insights better by listening.

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