The Fresh Squeeze: Brand Identity

What is Brand Identity (BI)?

According to Investopedia.com, your company’s BI is the manner in which you want your business to be perceived by consumers. Your logo, mission statement, motto, even the style and tone of your communications are all components that help build your business’ BI. Your company’s social media presence plays a huge role in that BI by supporting your message, constructing your corporate character, and ultimately connecting your business to your customers.

We recently caught up with Chris McClung of Rogue Running, a training program/retail shop here in Austin, TX, focused on helping runners of all levels achieve their goals. Rogue does a great job promoting and supporting their BI across several social platforms, so we picked his brain to find out what they do to stand out, how they define their BI, which social platform is their favorite, and more …

LSM: What makes Rogue stand out (on social media and beyond) from other training systems/retail shops?

RR: We stand out because we aren’t afraid to do so. We call ourselves Rogue for a reason, and that’s because we aren’t afraid to tell it like it is and be real. Sometimes, our message comes across as rough and raw, but we believe it’s a part of how you have to be in order to get the most out of yourself and others.

LSM: What are the three most important ingredients that make up Rogue Running’s BI?

RR: 1. Challenge: Steve Sisson, Rogue’s founder, built the business on the idea that the everyday athlete can train under the same principles as an elite athlete. The paces might be different, but the work is the same. We push people to test their limits so they can smash through them.

2.  Authenticity: There is no place for masks at 5:30 a.m., or at the end of a tough, hilly, long run. Running is a great equalizer, and we promote an environment where you can be yourself in order to focus on being the best version of yourself.

3.  Community: Running is only a solo sport if you let it be. We use the #RunRogueTogether hashtag on social media because, when you join Rogue, you are joining a team of athletes who will push you to new heights. We give you a place to chase your goals that you can call home, where people know your name and you can forget the hate and noise all around us.

LSM: What’s your favorite social media channel and why?  Which one is your least fave?

RR: We love the elegance and simplicity of Instagram, but Facebook is probably our favorite, simply because it’s the most versatile tool for sharing content, stories, photos, and engaging in real dialogue with members of the community. Twitter isn’t necessarily our least favorite, but it is the hardest for us because of the time it takes to really do it right. It seems you have to be engaging with other users 24/7 to make Twitter a relevant social media platform.

LSM: Describe one of your stand-out social media campaigns and tell us why it was amazing.

RR: We did a hashtag campaign in 2012/2013 using the tag #JFR. JFR stands for “Just F*cking Run”, which is a mantra we use in our training groups when the running gets hard or it’s raining or you just don’t want to run. Working with GSD&M, we produced this video to capture the essence of the phrase, and then launched a campaign with it encouraging people to share their #JFR stories. Engagement was through the roof, and the campaign brought a lot of new training members to our groups.

LSM: All that marathon training must build quite the appetite — what’s your favorite go to post-run meal spot here in town?

Kerbey Lane, Taco Deli, or Austin Java because tacos and/or pancakes are the perfect post-run recovery meal!

Thanks so much to Rogue Running for making time for us and being so honest about what it takes to have success IRL as well as in the ever-changing social media landscape. Be sure to Like and Follow them on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter!

And don’t forget:

• Investopedia’s Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and YouTube
• Kerbey Lane’s Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram
• Taco Deli’s Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram

Need help supporting your brand identity on social media? Drop us a line, anytime!