A Brand Strategy 101
Posted Apr. 29, 2011 by Casey Flanagan
Filed under: Branding, How To, Ideas, Marketing
I love RevolutionaryAct.com. It’s a self-described “Manifesto For Living In A Mixed Up World.” Besides the general content of the site, what I love is its approach.
It doesn’t say being healthy is easy. Even though it kind of is, isn’t it? We all know what to do. Even the U.S. Government was able to boil it down to: Eat less. Move more. If the U.S. Government can say something simply, it’s simple.
Instead, the website takes a different approach. It offers 101 “revolutionary ways” to be healthy. The 101 are simple, actionable and thought-provoking. So is their approach: Being healthy isn’t easy, it’s revolutionary. I can get behind that.
Marketers, take note. It seems more and more that we’re in need of a “Manifesto For Branding In A Mixed Up World.” Building a strong brand isn’t easy. It’s revolutionary.
These days, sticking to the fundamental truths we hold to be self-evident *can* seem downright revolutionary. But we need to more than ever. Because brands are in trouble.
In the aptly titled “The Trouble With Brands,” John Gerzema writes that brands are losing trust at an alarming rate. In 1997, 52% of brands were voted trustworthy. By 2008, that number had dropped to 22%, more than halving the number of trusted brands in just over a decade.
I think more than anything it’s because many brands have lost track of the fundamentals. They’ve forgotten their 101. They treat consumers as stupid. Or selfish. Or lazy. Or, God forbid, all three. Dave Meslin makes a compelling case for an Antidote To Apathy in his TedX talk. His premise? Consumers aren’t stupid or selfish or lazy. We live in a world that actively discourages engagement. Brands shouldn’t think the worst about people. They should set them up to succeed.
So I’m working on a Brand Strategy 101. 101 “revolutionary ways” to build a strong brand. Number one: Tell the truth. Number two: Make it easy. Only 99 more to go…
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