The next time you walk into a marketing meeting, think about this.

What you focus on is what people perceive your brand to be.

It’s an obvious thing. But, for some reason, we so often forget.

Brands, like people, can’t help but be, who they truly are inside. If someone is a prick, no matter how hard they try to hide it from others, it eventually shows. What we focus on in our minds consistently can’t help but show up in our actions in sometimes big, but often in discreet ways. And in turn, our actions shape others’ perception. So is true with brands.

If your primary focus as a company is customer service (like Nordstrom or Zappos), that’s what people perceive of your brand.

If your primary focus is innovation (like Apple or 3M), that’s what people perceive of your brand.

If the primary focus of your marketing meetings is often about sales figures and maximizing revenue, people will perceive you as being primarily concerned about money.

If the primary focus of your marketing is discounts and promotions, people will begin to undervalue your brand.

If your focus is spread all over the place and if you have numerous messages you’re trying to get out, people won’t know what to think of you.

If you want to change your brand image, focus less on how to outwardly communicate it. Focus on what you’re focusing on and your brand will change.