6 Things Every Brand MUST Have admin Tuesday, October 22, 2013 The Receipt The word “Brand” has become one of, if not the most over used terms in the entertainment industry today. Ironically, with the proliferation of its usage has come some ambiguity with regards to how to build a brand and how not to. Most of us understand the importance of brands, more specifically, branding. Where many of us differ is in the steps one must take to build a successful brand. It doesn’t matter what your niche is. If you’re a budding fashion designer or music producer, there are a number of universal steps everyone should heed when both establishing and growing a brand. Below are 6 things every brand MUST have in order to be successful. 1. A clear identity. So you’re the greatest (fill in the blank) in the world. While this may be true, consumers won’t give your brand the time of day if your brand is ambiguous, ill conceived, or poorly presented. Globalization has opened the world’s marketplace and as a result, consumers are completely inundated with thousands of brands all vying for the same fleeting attention span. This has increased the need for brands to be clear about who they are. All facets of your brand must clearly articulate the “who” in a way that makes it both clear and accessible to consumers in your niche. If you’re starting a record label, be clear. If you’re a fashion designer, be clear. Aspiring rapper? Be clear. 2. Goals. Once you’re clear on what your brand is all about, it’s time to establish some much needed goals. Keep in mind, every brand (business) has goals and they’re always changing. Your brand is very much like a car traveling down an unfamiliar highway. If you don’t have a destination in mind, chances are you’re going to be wasting time and energy as you meander around aimlessly. If you know anything about business, you know time and energy are precious resources. Setting (measurable) short term and long terms goals, not only keeps the brand headed in the right direction, but it also enables the brand to make good use of its resources. If you want to create a brand that meets and exceeds your wildest dreams, your goals should provide the roadmap to get there. 3. Reality is your BFF. I would love to be the next Diddy or Jay-z. I aspire to be a billionaire media mogul. However, I have to crawl before I walk. I have to achieve a certain level of success BEFORE I start popping champagne on a yacht in the middle of the Mediterranean. Your brand has to grow legs in order to be considered a major player in any industry. The best way to do that is to not over state your capabilities in the infancy stages. If you’re an event coordinator who has never put together an event more involved than a back yard BBQ, you may not want to advertise as a millionaire event planner until you get some more experience under your belt. Being realistic will help your brand grow organically. Organic growth is an almost guarantor of long-term success. 4. All “partnerships” aren’t good. We live in a capitalist society. Capitalism has always been and will always be hot in the pants for anything synergistic in nature. People love to form strategic partnerships. The problem is, seldom are partnerships strategic or mutually beneficial. You have a (new) brand and you’ve been presented with the opportunity to “team up” with another brand. Proceed with extreme caution. Most of the time the aligning of two brands is horribly ill conceived and its execution even worse. Just because two brands have the same aim, does not mean they have the same methodology to get there. It may take you a little longer to aggrandize your brand, but going it alone (partnership wise) isn’t always the worst thing in the world. 5. It’s all in the details. You want to make money from your brand, correct? You want to be the absolute best, yes? Well then you had better pay attention to the little things. This is often the decider between being around for 30 years versus coming in and drifting off into obscurity in 30 days. Your presentation, your messaging, your social media presence, etc… How the brand articulates itself across these and other avenues is paramount to you not only reaching your branding objectives, but also sustaining them. If we look at those brands that have successfully established a worldwide footprint (a la McDonald’s, Apple, Toyota), it’s clear that these brands ensure that every single detail is weighed, measured, and processed. 6. Humility is your BFFF. You don’t know it all. You never will. Always seek to grow, to learn, and to challenge your way of doing things. Your brand is your baby. As all good parents do, they are always receptive to better (more effective) ways of parenting. Hire a brand strategist. If you can’t afford to dole out thousands of dollars in consulting fees or retainer, use the Internet as a resource. If you exercise humility and accept there is always room for improvement, even when your brand skyrockets, you’ll have a much greater likelihood of sustaining it. Article submitted by Andre’ George (@TheAndreGeorge on Twitter).
