When you spend a lot of time working with people in the C-suite, you’re exposed to C-sized business problems. Those larger strategic issues that can’t be solved by the CEO alone, or by existing resources. When changes in your industry push you to shift business strategy, it’s a sign that your brand strategy needs to shift in a synchronized way to reposition for success.
Example: We’ve surveyed C-level executives about the number one desire they have for their brand strategy. Know what they want? Differentiation. A competitive advantage. A defensible position. Differentiation is tough. When your competitors are howling like wolves at the door, how can you stand out from the pack? If your company plays a supporting role in a complex ecosystem, how can you stand out from the crowd? Brand strategy can help.
Here are a few business problems you may have experienced yourself.
– A small, aggressive company in a congested ecosystem filled with other small, aggressive companies needs to sharpen its story to demonstrate a meaningful difference.
– A decades-old service company embarks on a long-term plan to upgrade technology and improve the customer experience. They want to update the brand and communicate what it means to people every step of the way.
– One company acquires another and discovers the need for a refreshed brand architecture, streamlined product line naming, a fresh design approach, and internal transformation programs to get two cultures to mesh as one.
– A growing start-up in a lightning-fast technology category needs to lead with its authentic purpose in order to compete for top talent in a field dominated by huge online brands.
– A financial services company rolling out a new product needs to understand the new target audience, recalibrate positioning, build a new go-to-market strategy, and deploy a sales enablement program.
– An online delivery start-up that’s achieved lift-off needs help preparing for an exit or IPO.
– A high-growth company needs to instill consistency of brand messaging and look and feel across multiple offices in multiple countries.
These are real scenarios, and if they sound familiar to you, you can probably empathize with leaders of these companies. The interesting angle is that they solved their business problems through the lens of brand strategy. And you can, too.
Changing strategic direction doesn’t happen instantly. And it doesn’t happen by itself. It takes thoughtful planning, a strong push from the C-suite, and diligent execution all the way down the line. If you have a strong vision for the future, but have business problems with marketing, sales, product management, brand experience, recruiting, retention, culture, customers, partners, investors, or communication, a strong brand strategy can help you get from here to there.
—
Emotive Brand is a San Francisco branding agency.
Read more about brand strategy here: Why Brand Strategy Needs to Start in the C-suite
