Big, hairy, and audacious. Most organisations do not have a brand strategy. As a result they are not using their brand as a lever to engage and drive preference.
Some organisations discover this lack only when they are trying to do something that is big, hairy and audacious, and it falls flat.
They are shocked. They spent so much time preparing their launch, hiring sales staff, deploying Facebook advertising, giving PowerPoint presentations, and allocating a generous marketing budget.
But teams and budgets can only deliver when a rational, realistic brand strategy rests as the foundation of the commitment. Orgs might get away with modest goals or business-as-usual without having this alignment. But once they try to do something big and hairy, or a crisis hits, then the you-know-what hits the fan.
Steering the way ahead
If your tyres aren’t aligned you’ll soon find yourself in a ditch. Think of your brand as your business’s tyres.
So what to do?
You can start by asking a lot of questions and challenging what you think you know. Who are the audiences that are important to you? How do your customers understand your brand? What are you saying consistently? Do you have a strategy to drive that?
The smart operators know embedding brand in the operations of the business is critical. Not just leaving it up to Marketing to put a logo in the best spot, but enthusiastically getting behind the brand at every opportunity.
Use your influence with your CEO. And if you are the CEO, take the commitment to keep the brand aligned to the business. Because this has to be led from the top.
Brand alignment is not just another special project, but a shift in thinking in how the whole organisation can get behind your brand.
