When Brand Mum Spoke, We Knew to Listen!

I am convinced my Mum was a branding expert. Why do I say this? According to Jerry Mclaughlin’s article, “Branding is what your prospect thinks when he or she hears your brand name.”

Back to my mum…I remember growing up, whenever someone threatened to call my Mum, in the event of my mishap, just the mention of ‘Mum’ made me feel some kind of way. This is because she worked on her brand message very well.

My mum had a way of speaking that literally drove the point across. You were inclined to make the right decision after you weighed the pros and cons. Now that I am older, I realise she had a very precise ‘brand message’.

Her message let us know that she was in charge and not even God could save you! The message was ‘broadcast’ when you were calm and did not perceive any danger.

I used to like climbing trees. Once my mother called me from my climbing escapades and calmly told me, “Just keep climbing that tree. When you fall down and split your head open you better have a place you can hide wherever it is you will go from here, because I will come and slap the teeth from your mouth.”

I still climbed the tree, only I was extra careful so that I would not fall. I needed my teeth, in this and the after life!

Mum’s brand message always gave you something to really think about. For example, she would call me to send me to the nearby kiosk, then she would casually add, ”Carry the eggs and milk any way you feel like. If the eggs break or the milk pours, please do the same.” I would carry the eggs and the milk back so carefully all the while thinking what I would look like if I broke or poured!

I learnt the art of sarcasm from brand Mum.

Once we left the soap in water over night. Of course no one would admit to leaving the soap in the sink full of water. As she brought in another bar of soap she said to all of us, ” OK here is another soap to leave in water, your father has a soap making factory he will bring more.” In my little head I laughed thinking…”Aww Mum, Dad doesn’t have a soap factory, he works in…oh wait, I get it.”

One of Mum’s mottos was that it was not fashionable to be stupid. I remember carrying dirty dishes to the kitchen where my mum was washing dishes. I absentmindedly asked, ”Mum, where should I put these dishes?” ‘You can put them on my head!” I quickly learnt to think before speaking and most importantly be aware of my surroundings.

My all time favourite threat, sorry I meant brand message was, ”Just try to be rude, I will step on your neck and slit your throat. I will then go to the police station to report myself!” This one message proved to me that my Mum was gangster! Brand Mum was not scared of God; she was ready to break a commandment.

The brand did not fear the police and most of all; she was not scared of my Dad. How was she going to explain ‘taking out’ one of his kids? (Those were the days when I thought my Dad was a god, right next to if not above God!)

Until today, when I think of my Mum, I sit up straight, think before I speak and make sure I am behaving appropriately. Most of all, I smile. Brand Mum added lots of colour to my world.

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