I have this “thing” about postage stamps. Years ago, my sister saved shoe boxes filled with unmarked and cancelled stamps for her collection. My Uncle Norbert – coincidentally a U.S. Postal Carrier – would send us postcards during his worldly travels. The rest came from the regular boring letters delivered to our mailbox.
Now as an adult, I purchase stamps at the U.S. Post Office or online and always ask to review the latest options available. I choose my stamps carefully before I drop any correspondence in the mail:
- The U.S. flag stamp is my go-to for anything generic. You can’t go wrong with the Stars & Stripes
- Flowers or various Love themes are well-suited for birthday or sympathy cards
- Scooby-Doo stamps show my humorous side, or there are book author stamps, especially fun when sending mail to kids
- Seasonal postage is always applied for major holidays – from Chinese New Year through the Christmas holiday
When I select a certain stamp, I believe I am branding myself to a captive audience, much in the same way a company chooses tag lines, character values and word associations to position its brand.
When is the last time you thought about your company’s brand identity? Does it capture your business’s core values and match your reputation? For answers to this and more, check out my colleague Mike Shefky’s two-part series, Why now could be a good time to revisit your branding.
