Here are seven areas you should consider to help you build a winning brand:
1. A big idea for changing the world
Change the world, easy right? Well, it's all got to start somewhere – a lot of the greatest ideas the world has seen are, in fact, so unbelievably simple, like the post-it or the paperclip. Many of the greatest ideas were passed over at first, only to prove their critics wrong. One of the best examples of this is in 1962 the instant transmission of data was thought to be completely impossible. Dennis Gabor, a Nobel Prize winning physicist declared that “it will never become a practical proposition”. Ironic since you are probably reading this off of a website, which transmits data instantly over the internet.
2. Know your people and their potential
Human resources is definitely one of the most important parts of building a successful brand. Each and every person who works on the brand building team must be dedicated to success and innovation. They must always celebrate their victories, but at the same time continue to strive to learn from mistakes and improve practice based on those learnings. Every brand starts with a solid idea, the determination to make it a success and an army to pull it off.
3. Know your audience
Getting to the bottom of who your customer is, what they need and how to pique their interest is the cornerstone of success. You can have the greatest idea in the world, driven by the most accomplished team but if no one knows about it your big idea is going nowhere.
4. Have a battle strategy
Any warrior worth his salt will tell you that you that you have to know your enemies better than you know your friends. Analyze their strengths and weaknesses, follow their every move and anticipate their next steps. This will help you stay ahead of the game and ensure that your brand comes out on top.
5. Have strong, creative messaging
On a global stage, the world is much more cluttered today than 10 / 20 years ago and brands can run the risk of blending in if they’re not thinking differently. Creativity will make your brand stand out. Combine that with knowing what you need to say and ensuring that your message is loud and clear to the right audiences, and you'll never look back. Building a solid brand not only brings revenue, but it ensures stability and longevity, not matter what products you sell underneath that label.
6. Be consist
Being consistent starts at inception of the brand and filters through to every aspect of the business. From start to finish, continuity is what will drive your brand forward. Making the conscious choice not to compromise on quality, creativity and innovation will bring success to your brand building team.
7. Be prepared
Even the greatest brands have had their low moments, sometimes things just go wrong and in the world of instant shareability, one disgruntled customer can spread a bad review on social media in a matter of seconds. The difference lies in how you handle these situations when they arise. Harness the power of technology to facilitate better decision making and gain insight into how your brand is perceived and what is being said about it in real-time.
There is no one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to building a successful brand. As your brand evolves in a changing world you will need to constantly remind yourself of where it all began and where you want to be. Making a brand successful is not an exact science but a recipe consistency, innovation and good ole’ fashioned hard work.
