What Do You Stand For?
Apple inspires us to Think Different. Nike urges us to Just Do It. Sony says Believe that anything you imagine, you can make real. The common thread is successful companies believe in more than just creating stuff! They have a mission.
This story is how I came to learn the importance of having a mission. It also is a timely tribute to Steve Jobs, a person who touched many of us through his incredible vision.
When I began Fotoblur in 2008 I thought that a properly executed SEO strategy was crucial to help people find us. I ended up doing what most people do and stuffed the front page with as many relevant keywords as possible. However, I didn't think it was going to be very effective. For one, the photography space is pretty crowded (Flickr, Photo.net, JPGMag). Plus, writing SEO copy felt cheezy and boring. Not exactly the image you want to portray when trying to differentiate yourself.
Some time later I caught this very insightful video on branding. It inspired me. It showed me that what we needed at Fotoblur was a clear message about what we stood for — our core values.
I first started by asking myself, "What did Fotoblur stand for?" Then, I created a short list of what these values where. Finally, I crafted a clear message that encompassed the core values. Here are a few notes from my notebook:
- Fotoblur is not simply a platform for posting photos. Its more than that.
- In the first place, why do people share their photos anyway? At the core, people share photos to express and communicate their ideas.
- These ideas include how the photographer views the world and, most importantly, how they view their place in it.
- By expressing and sharing personal ideas one has the effect of changing how others view the world or, in other words, opening one's eyes to the world they do not see.
Simply stated, Fotoblur stands for the sharing of ideas through photography which has the effect of changing how others see the world.
The final result: Fotoblur - Change the world, one photo at a time.