My approach to brand strategy might not be right for some people.
Some people find the competitive nature of business and having to “win” anxiety inducing.
They love it when agencies throw out words like “growth” and “transformation” that just make senior management do an eye roll and leave them alone — to actually engage them by demonstrably supporting the business strategy as I do? Let’s keep the suits out of this, thank you.
Some people prefer to think of their brand as what they say it is — not what others say.
They prefer not to complicate their task with how their organization might walk the talk — and thankfully, unlike me, the consultancies those people work with don’t think about design or having to build anything, so not an issue.
Some people avoid research that challenges their mindset.
They find my insistence on deep, serious research into the customer (Behavioral science? Oh, please); the brand’s philosophical positioning; and the full, true value behind their offering, unsettling — predictable, obvious, findings are less provocative and quicker to absorb.
Some people like their brand strategy to mystify the teams that have to execute against it.
After all, how well thought out and effective can a strategy be if it’s simple enough to fit on a single page, as mine does? Besides, the creatives and other makers in their organizations are sooo full of themselves — let ‘em squirm a little.
Some people love a brand idea that no one could possibly disagree with.
When faced with the choice of championing a bold direction promising compelling experiences, engaging communications, and future innovation — or easily achieving consensus amongst seventy-five stakeholders and not rousing customers? Who needs the hassle?
I skip the BS, and simply but boldly, define how to shape audience experiences and perceptions to win in the marketplace.
I understand an organization’s winning business strategy — how it creates value — to then define how it conveys that value through its brand strategy, realizes that value through its product strategy, and communicates that value through its marketing and content strategy. What makes my approach effective is that I ensure cultural relevance when forming the guiding brand idea while delivering deceptively simple, pragmatic strategies to leadership and creative teams to bring the brand to life.
Approach
My experience covers the gamut of what an organization needs to execute on their winning business strategy. Customer Insight through research leading to persona/segmentation.
Brand Strategy detailing cultural relevance, positioning, messaging framework, narrative.
Experience Strategy detailing experience principles, key moments in the customer journey.
Creative Strategy guiding Content, Marketing, Comms strategies.
Organizational Transformation to align and inspire teams to realize your value to the marketplace through vision, mission, and values – most important for B2B organizations