Balance consistency and evolution
Brands should be developed as long-term assets to the company and for long-term relationships with customers and employees. Consistency is key.
On the other end of the scale, complacency is dangerous. Brands need to evolve over time to accommodate business growth, new customers and employees, market changes and so forth.
It’s a fine balance between a marketing team that changes because they’re bored with the strategy – you’ll get bored of your brand before your customer does – or one that has lost its interest.
What’s the occasion? When to review and revitalise your brand
The level of revitalisation depends on your brand’s and team’s needs. It could be a revitalised brand positioning or simply applying a different way of thinking to your challenges (e.g. fresh eyes, behavioural economics, parallel markets, benchmarks, category flip).
Key occasions::
1) When your business has grown in size or is planning growth – ensure your brand is relevant and compelling to current and new customers; and employees understand and are delivering consistently against the brand
2) When there is a change or foreseen change in the market – such as technological advancements, new or lapsed patents, new competitors, category disruption, a new or departing generation of customers
3) When changing activities is not driving results – evolve and change your activities against metrics, before you change your strategy
4) When you have identified a specific problem that’s not going to be achieved through new or different execution of the existing strategy
5) When your marketing and cross-functional teams are lacking in clarity, energy and inspiration to drive the brand forward
6) Prior to/at the beginning of annual budget planning – review against your brand metrics, consider where you want to go vs where you are now and whether elements of your brand are stopping you meeting your objectives
7) Towards the end of your 3-5 year strategic plan – it is more than likely that one or more of the above occasions will apply, if not now is a good time to review and revitalise for preparation of the next 3-5 year strategic plan.
How can we help?
Our ‘Revitalise Your Brand’ Workshop is designed to revitalise your brand, and your team’s passion for and energy on the brand. We use a range of exercises, techniques and stimulus to review where you are and generate the energy and ideas to get you where you want to go. Read more about it here or contact Rachel directly on 0467 441 841 to discuss your needs.
Image source: Karelhoppe | Dreamstime.com
