By definition, focus refers to the paying of close attention to a single object or closely-related objects. Having a defined focus in photography yields sharp images. It’s the same with your organization, and with your organization’s brand. Your brand should make you stand out from the crowd. If you lack focus, you will also lack a strong, defined brand.
Take for example a work van I saw on the road recently. It was for a company called XYZ Chimney Sweeps. Their slogan was something like this:” if you’ve used XYZ, then your chimney is really clean. “ So far, so good. Then listed under their name were these services: brickwork, chimney repair and cleaning, air ducts. On another door of this work van, XYZ listed vent cleaning as another service. I visited their website, where I found out that they also do masonry repair, home improvement, and handyman services. I understand that XYZ wants to expand its customer base by offering many different types of services. And yes, some of these services are related. But others show a lack of focus. If your name says you are chimney sweep, then that is what people expect from you, and what you should deliver.
On my blog post When Your Customers Don't Know Who You Are, I discuss two businesses that are trying to appeal to too many different customers and in the process losing their edge. One is a pizza place that uses a burger image in its advertising!
Remember that the stronger your focus, the stronger your brand. And the inverse is also true: the less focused you are, the weaker your brand will be.
