singular branding

True story:

I’ve been on an absolute tear watching documentaries this holiday season lol

One of which was a Netflix doc called "The New Yorker at 100."

It follows the editor-in-chief and the rest of the team as they prepare to publish the magazine's 100th anniversary issue.

And honestly:

It's pretty neat to see how the sausage gets made at one of the most iconic publications in the world.

There’s something about the magazine golden age that’s always appealed to me.

And while there wasn’t necessarily a ton of writing-related takeaways for me…

Simply because I’m not a journalist…

And the mediums I write for are nothing like magazines…

However:

One observation I couldn’t help but make was on branding.

Specifically:

How incredibly singular The New Yorker’s branding is.

The typeface, the covers, the illustrations — everything about it is unmistakable.

You know instantly it's them without even seeing the logo.

And they've maintained this singularity for 100 years.

Pretty wild, right?

What’s more:

It's not just the visual stuff.

It's their voice, perspective, and values coming through consistently in every piece they publish.

These elements form the true center of branding gravity.

Which got me thinking about newsletters and Email Storyselling...

Because this exact same principle applies.

You see, most list owners tend to obsess over the wrong stuff in building their brand.

They focus on tactics and granular details…

Like how long their emails should be or what time of the day they should send them at.

And don’t get me wrong:

It’s not that these things are totally meaningless…

But to obsess over them is to neglect the things that actually makes your emails memorable:

Your values, perspective, and personality.

This is what Email Storyselling is designed to spotlight.

It's not about templates or formulas…

It's about using stories to showcase YOUR beliefs, views, and values in action.

Your perspective on what matters...

How you see the world...

And what you do or don’t stand for...

When subscribers read your emails, they should instantly know it's YOU.

Not because of a logo or a color scheme...

But because of how you think and what you believe.

That's what creates singular branding in a newsletter.

And that's what turns casual readers into buyers and True Fans who feel like they actually know you.

Some food for thought on a Friday afternoon ;)

Jim Hamilton

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