Brand Ethos: Why History Matters

In brand rhetoric, Ethos is essentially the authoritative appeal of your messages. In balance with Pathos and Logos, Ethos is a strong factor in building and sustaining a reputation for your company. But the components of Ethos can sometimes be elusive; discovering the elements of your business to emphasize when developing content is a more difficult process than you might first imagine.

In this article, we examine the power of company history when building Ethos in your message. 

Consistency and Experience

Consistency and experience are the two most important components of a strong Ethos based in history. As a company, the consistent quality or characteristics of your products is reassuring to new and repeat customers alike. Even if your product lines change, your attention to detail likely hasn’t. Emphasize the reliability of your work as much as possible without boasting.

Similarly, the longer you’ve done something, the better you become at it. Make sure people know how long your company (or the founder of your company) has been in business, and when possible, illustrate your products and services with how much expertise it takes to make them perfect.

The Problem with Length

Big companies have long histories to pull stories from, but smaller companies don’t have that luxury, and start-up companies tend to have a much more difficult time building Ethos for that reason. However, even companies with a year of history likely have some story they can tell. Instead of focusing on consistency or experience, focus on what you’ve done with the time you’ve had.

Balancing the Information

Using history to build your Ethos doesn’t mean simply throwing out years and experience levels every chance you get. Instead, craft a subtle phrasing that suggests the power of your history. Allude to the experience of your team members, focus on the amount of effort spent developing a new product, and mention how much your company has grown.

History is just one component of a solid corporate Ethos, but it can be very powerful when used effectively.