Finding Your Brand Pillars: Four Words That Define You

Sophie Boulderstone
5 days ago
2 min read

One of the most powerful branding exercises you can do is identifying your brand pillars - four words that capture how you want people to feel about your business.

Not what you do. Not what you sell. How you make people feel.

Why this matters

Your brand pillars become your compass. They guide your tone of voice, your visual identity, the way you show up on social media, and even the clients you attract. When you're clear on these four words, everything else becomes easier to decide.

How the exercise works

Step 1: Start broad Download our list of brand words (link below) and go through them with a pen. Circle every single word that resonates with you - don't overthink it, just go with your gut.

Step 2: Narrow it down Look at your circled words and start comparing. Which ones feel most like you? Cross out the ones that are nice but not quite right. Keep going until you're down to about 10-15 words.

Step 3: Get ruthless Now the hard part - narrow those 10-15 down to just 4. These are your brand pillars. The words that, together, capture the essence of how you want your customers to feel when they interact with your business.

Think feelings, not functions

Here's where people often get stuck. If you're a solicitor, your first instinct might be to choose "knowledgeable" - but that's a given, isn't it? Every solicitor should be knowledgeable.

Instead, think about what differentiates you. What's your personality? How do you want clients to feel when they work with you?

Maybe you're:

Calm and reassuring - the steady hand in a stressful situation
Transparent and approachable - demystifying legal jargon
Progressive and inclusive - challenging outdated practices
Dependable and warm - making people feel looked after

See the difference? These words tell a story about you - not just what you do, but who you are.

The more honest you are, the better

The beauty of this exercise is that there are no wrong answers. The goal isn't to choose the "best" words - it's to choose the truest ones.

Because when you can genuinely convey your personality through your brand, you attract the people who get you. The ones who become lifelong clients and advocates. The ones who refer you to their friends because "you just have to meet them, they're brilliant."

That's what we're after.

Ready to find your four words?

Download our brand words list below and give it a go. Take your time with it. Sleep on it. Come back to it. The right four words will reveal themselves.