The New Year is the perfect time to step back and create impassioned and attainable brand resolutions. What do you want to achieve in 2016? Look back on 2015 and reflect on your business. What were your greatest successes and biggest challenges? How can you live your brand promise in 2016? How can you build your brand to flourish?

Emotive Brand wants to add some inspiration and purpose to the start of your 2016. We’ve asked top business executives across varying industries to share one piece of advice about managing a brand and driving business. Our advice: read up.

“Managing your brand is a full-time job that starts with brand strategy and truly never ends. It takes dedication, time, and relentless focus to embed your brand into your company culture. Your brand should be used as a filter for all business decisions. Make sure everyone in your company understands your brand and lives it too. They should be your most enthusiastic promoters. Share the brand with them, and keep reinforcing its promise over and over and over again.”

Eve Maidenberg
Senior Director Integrated Marketing
FICO

“We’ve learned to never underestimate how potential customers make snap judgments about how a brand makes them feel. Don’t underestimate any touchpoint!”

Zane Vella
CEO
Watchwith

“Keep in mind that a brand can be product brand or an employer brand. Both are critical to the businesses success. Without employees wanting to work for your brand, you don’t have a product. Without a product, you don’t have a business.”

Brad Cook
Global Vice President Talent Acquisition
Informatica

“See possibilities over limits. Build a brand platform that loves flexibility, embraces change, and welcomes the unexpected.”

Rob Corwin
Creative Director
Cooley LLP

 

“Brand is what those outside of our walls think, feel, and believe about our firm. You must not only communicate, but constantly demonstrate your brand promise. Your brand can be advanced at every single interaction with clients and potential clients.”

Steven M. Bell
Leader of Marketing and Business Development
Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice

“Don’t confuse marketing with branding. Marketing is about attracting potential customers. Branding is about keeping them. Every touchpoint is an opportunity to enhance the brand experience and therefore the opinion a customer has about your brand. If you’re doing it right, you will move your brand from ‘like’ to ‘love’.”

Peter Gerber
Director Global Branding
Eaton Corporation

“Understand that your brand isn’t just what you message to your audience; it’s also what your audience messages to each other. Customers don’t always repeat a brand message as you’ve carefully crafted it. It’s just as important to make sure customers are thrilled with their experiences as it is to tell your brand story directly. They are the messengers of the brand and their stories resonate.”

Jessica Wan
Director of Marketing
Magoosh

“Build your brand around your core strength. For most businesses, there is a reason they have stayed in business: what is the one true thing that has existed through all the ups and downs?”

Joaquin Lippincott
President & Founder
Metal Toad

“My best advice is to get to the truth of who you are as a brand, and then own it, accentuate, and don’t deviate from it. There are so many pressures to be something to everyone, yet focus yields stronger results.”

Kendra Frisbie
Brand Builder; Communications Strategist & Creative Director
McGuire Furniture

“Brand drives business. Creating a brand that represents and emotes who you are and what you believe is the key to success and growth.”

Jeremy Fudge
Partner, Attorney at Law
BAL