So long mighty logo. The identifier of great brands, the curves and the lines, the Colours and the Shades. no longer defines a brand. The brand is in words now. A brand is no longer a King sitting on a throne of untouchable heights. In fact a brand is now a commoner, a friend instead. Even friends are not loyal anymore. What makes you special now is not the exclusivity, it’s the inclusiveness. So goodbye to the brand royalty and the loyalty. Here are a few things that I believe you should worry about if you want to become a brand in the 20-teens.
1. Are you listening?
People no longer read or hear to remember. They want to talk more than they want to know. Their daily lives are anyway so disturbed and they have so few avenues to vent out their emotions that your glossy relentless self promotion will only alienate you. Better to listen to people. Local brands have a greater advantage in this case since you are closer to your customer. Social Media is a great way to do that but you have to know how to use it effectively.
2. Are you paying it forward?
We live in a cynical, cynical world. Your being good is not enough. Are you showing your kindness in any form? Giving out freebies at malls is not what we mean by that. Does your business have any social angle? Are you supporting any cause? Probably you should. People consume brands for strange reasons, largely due to the strained economy. Being genuinely kind might help you.
3. Papa don’t preach, but I need you…
People need both a friend and a elderly figure. Now you have to decide which tone of communication suites you best. Your brand has to make a place in the hearts of your consumer. What are you doing to help people realise? How much your consumers depend on you for advice? Are you a friend, a guide or both?
4. “First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean” – Matthew 23:26
The Biblical reference seems apt for a brand too. Brand has it’s own soul and body. A brand is a living breathing entity. You cannot but let your brand be at the mercy of sheer advertising. Promotion can negatively affect your brand if it is not sorted from within. All your internal practices and employee retention efforts matter when it comes to building a reputation. A brand is what your people do and talk about. Mal-practices, careless attitudes, unfriendly working environment and undemocratic management can all hamper your image outside. A brand can’t be hypocritical. Curb these things early on.
5. Can you change, evolve and move forward?
A lot of your success in the post 2012 business world will depend on your resilience. Are you a forward thinking, freedom loving organisation and believe in empowering your employees to take charge of their work? Well you should think about it. Ownership of the work will matter because your employees no longer work only for money. Not for long, for sure. You have to develop leadership. That’s what will get you through the tough times. Lateral thinking abilities and systems approach need to go hand in hand.
There are so many more things that are to be considered and acknowledged. Most important thing is observation. You cannot miss the details. We understand that you must have a lot of things to tell and we would appreciate your response. Please connect with TLB and share your thoughts with us.
Marty Huggins
