Global or local, traditional or visionary, B2B or B2C—there are six simple rules behind every great brand strategy. How does your brand measure up?
Leadership: The first rule of brand strategy.
If brand strategy were simply about following a checklist, every competent organization would have a well executed brand. And if following the checklist were all that mattered, each precisely executed brand would have a predictable number of loyal brand followers. Mission statement? Check. Logo and snappy tagline? Check. Differentiated product message; staff consisting entirely of amazing brand ambassadors and talented innovators; committed vendors and partnerships? Check, check, check.
There are rules to great brand strategy. One of them is that you don’t have to follow all the rules. Read more…
Authenticity: The second rule of brand strategy.
You get to explore different ways to deliver your service, how your culture fuels the brand experience, how leadership pushes new boundaries and how you continue to engage and excite your stakeholders. It’s your brand; it’s your story to tell.
Every story, though, is based on a familiar plot. Just like an action story needs an adventure or a love story needs a romance, a brand story must live up to the core promise. Authenticity is everything, and if your brand can’t manage that one thing, nothing else matters.
Be amazing at the one thing you promise. Every time. No exceptions. Read more…
Passion: The third rule of brand strategy.
I am a firm believer in the concept that everything matters. Every single touch point factors into the brand experience equation. How much each elements factors in is a matter of debate and strategic preference, but make no mistake about it—everything matters.
If you’re looking for a proven formula, though, you’re out of luck. Great brands embrace the fluid nature of the experience. Great brands embrace a fluid formula. Read more…
Time: The fourth rule of brand strategy.
Great brands never just happen. There is no single silver bullet idea, concept or initiative to accelerate brand success or create an overnight success. There is simply no replacement for the value of time spent focused on your mission, and the attention to detail in the execution of a desirable experience. Read more…
Identity: The fifth rule of brand strategy.
The only way an experience is of any brand value is if I know it’s an experience with you. There are many opportunities for touch points, and all the different senses come into play, but if I don’t know which brand is responsible for the experience, an opportunity is lost. If you purposefully avoid identifying the experience, your investment is wasted. And it’s terribly unfortunate if I believe your positive experience is actually connected to a different brand.
Awareness isn’t relative to the passion and purpose of your organization. Awareness is driven by proud, focused communication. Read more…
One Story: the sixth rule of brand strategy.
Since the early days of brand strategy, common wisdom emphasizes “one message”—one single message that occupies the mind of the consumer. This basic philosophy—correct, but too simplistic—undermines the complexity of the relationship people will have with the brand. If you focus only on one message, you risk bombarding your stakeholders without engaging them.
People won’t connect with just one message, but they will understand one story.
Read more…