Raising a brand is no easy task, its development closely resembles raising a child.
In the beginning it requires a lot of effort, time and patience, so that it can be independent and self-sufficient when it grows up.
What are its Principles?
Other than basic survival skills, the first thing every child learns is their parents’ principles and values. While every household’s principles may vary, they nonetheless exist. Lack of proper principles and values descents to chaos, confusion and lack of identity.
Principles at your Brand’s Core
A brand’s principles should be embodied at its very core. Stating them on your website or social media is a superficial way of pretending to have principles. They need to be translated across all sections and layers of the brand; through its own behaviour, the people working with the brand, its consumers and customers.
The brand’s principles will define Company and Consumer cultures.
What is its Ambition?
When your brand has established its values and principles, it will use those as a foundation to fulfil its dreams and ambition.
Plan
Clearly define your brand’s ambition, followed by the creation of a plan on how to achieve it. The plan will inevitably change over time along with an ever-changing environment. You need to keep the balance of adjusting to current circumstances and at the same time preserving the brand’s core principles.
What is its Behaviour?
Following its principles, how does your brand behave? – both internally to people working with the company, and externally to consumers and customers.
Meaningful Behaviour
Its reaction and attitude towards people and other brands should be consistent and meaningful. Erratic and unstable brand behaviour will send the message that it was superficially developed without much effort and time invested in it.
Who are its Friends?
“Show me your friends and I will tell you who you are”
This popular saying applies to your brand as well.
Who works with your brand?
The people you chose to work with your company must have aligned principles and values, otherwise your brand’s core and individuality will slowly fade out and eventually vanish.
If employees share the same principles however, then you have successfully set out a fertile foundation for employee loyalty.
Who is your consumer?
Consumers and customers will also have an effect on your brand. Just like with employees, an alignment of principles with your consumers is essential if your are to ensure their loyalty.
Is it Self Sufficient?
Once your brand is grown and mature to fly off the nest, one of the greatest joys of a parent is to know that it is self sufficient and can fly on its own.
You will always want to be there and protect the brand that you built from the ground up. The harsh reality is that you need to raise your brand to be independent and be able to thrive on its own.
Brand Resilience
The more effort and time you invest in your brand, the faster it will become sustainable and independent. Even though it feels scary, raising a self sustained brand is best for you; as you will not have to put so much effort and time anymore, as well as for the brand; as it will become even more resilient throughout time.
