What’s Your Brand Essence?

Hint: It’s Not Your Logo

No, not your logo. Not your colour palette. Not your latest Instagram caption.

We’re talking about the soul of your brand, the thread that runs through every guest experience, every staff interaction, every decision made around the firepit or the boardroom table.

In the safari industry, where storytelling is part of the product, brand essence isn’t just a marketing buzzword, it’s the heartbeat of your business.

So… What Is Brand Essence?

Brand essence is the core idea or feeling your brand evokes.

It’s not what you say you are, it’s what your guests feel after they’ve spent time with you.

It might be bold independence, generous welcome, quiet beauty, or wilderness with soul, whatever is genuinely yours.

It’s not a tagline. It’s not a campaign. It’s a constant, and when it’s clear, everything else falls into place.

Why It Matters

A strong brand essence:

• Helps guests feel before they book.

• Guides consistency in voice, visuals, and service delivery.

• Attracts team members who align with your values.

• Serves as a filter for decision-making, from partnerships to property design

It becomes your North Star. Without it, you drift. With it, you resonate and build loyalty that lasts.

A Simple Framework for Defining Yours

You can start right here:

1. Emotion - What do you want guests to feel when they think of you?

2. Experience - What do they actually do with you?

3. Impact - What lingers after they leave?

4. Differentiator - What’s your distinct take on the safari experience?

Then ask: Is this essence clear at every touchpoint?

Real Examples From the Industry

Ol Malo, Kenya

Essence: Wild-hearted freedom.

Ol Malo doesn’t do cookie-cutter. Guests are immersed in the rhythm of the land, riding safaris, mountain fly-camping, helicopters tracing escarpments. There’s nothing generic here. The brand essence is all about spirited independence, connection and embracing the wild on your own terms.

You feel it in their photography, their tone, and in every story shared around a fire.

MmaTsebe, Botswana

Essence: Unhurried, grounded simplicity.

MmaTsebe is the antithesis of fast and flashy. It’s not chasing trends, it’s quietly confident in what it is: a wholesome, family-run bush camp rooted in real hospitality.

This is the kind of place where everyone knows your name, the pace is slow on purpose, and the welcome is warm without being performative. It’s thoughtfully mid-market, offering quality where it matters, without unnecessary frills.

The brand essence is all about ease, honesty, and connection. Guests leave feeling like they’ve stayed somewhere personal, with heart, not just checked into another lodge.

Bush & Beyond, Kenya

Essence: Trusted curators of meaningful journeys.

Bush & Beyond isn’t trying to be the star of the show, their brand essence is all about quietly shining a light on the family-run, conservation-first, soul-filled properties they represent.

They’re connectors and storytellers. Their guests feel held, heard, and thoughtfully matched to the right place. Their brand essence shapes everything from trade partnerships to how they write their newsletters: warm, clear, and grounded.

Brand Essence in Action

When your essence is clear, it anchors every part of your business:

• Guest Experience - It informs your pace, tone, rituals, and even room design.

• Social Media - It shapes your voice: Are you poetic? Minimal? Bold?

• Team Culture - It helps you hire people who naturally align.

• Growth Decisions - It becomes your filter: Does this fit who we are?

Final Thought

Your brand essence is what turns a safari from a list of sightings into a feeling guests can’t forget.

It’s not about adding more, it’s about getting clearer.

Because in a world full of beautiful places, clarity is your superpower.

Need help finding or articulating your brand essence?

That’s what we do at Atisa Consulting, uncovering the soul of a business and helping it show up everywhere, meaningfully.