BRANDING IS DEAD- #3 in the VIBE series

Branding is dead- maybe not dead, but really ill. Brand, Branded, Branding, Branded Environments, Brand Equity....Brand has become a a hollow word. So many people hanging their services on this simple word, but its not truly part of their practice. Brandwashing. Of course, there are agencies and firms that do excellent brand work- do your homework if your looking for services in this arena. 

Here is our perspective- 

Why do we include it in our four pillars of design strategy? 
Because true brand development is really important. 

Curating your Brand is not only important, it's an imperative. But your brand is not simply something you hire a designer to make, it is not a design exercise like your identity. Your brand is a living, evolving organism, and it has two distinct hemispheres. 

We believe the brand is the single most important component of a successful organization.

First-the two hemispheres:

Internal- The culture, gestalt, the day to day experience you, your peers and the people who work for you and the people you work for create. This is your internal brand, and it is the key to creating engaged members, retention, inspiring innovative and creativity, and doing powerful work. This 'brand' starts with the leadership and when done well, becomes the domain of every member of the organization.

External- This is viral, organic kind of brand. It's an opportunity to extend the reach of your vision well beyond your circle of influence.  Its directly linked to every single touchpoint in your client and personal interactions. It lives in the court of public opinion and can be very powerful.

Second- how to curate your brand.

There are pages and pages of writing on this subject, some of it very smart. Here is the way we look at it, in simple terms:

Get your language right. Everyone will tell their own version of the story of you- give them as many of the key words so the core message is consistent and tight.

Live your brand, and make it genuine. Your authentic self is truly an awesome thing if you let it be. If you talk the talk, walk the walk.

Don't be afraid. Your brand should be something you are a maven about. Not as a sales tool, but just because. Sales, revenue, that will follow. you just need bring all the energy you can muster to the dance.

Align the two hemispheres. If your internal and external brand attributes do not align, its trouble. Confusing your audience is just a bad idea. Make a promise to your clients that is consistent with the promise you make to your associates.  

Third-  How do I deal with my brand?

Take a minute and consider why you do what you do. Is it so your family can have security and a good living? Are you curious and like to solve problems? Are you a systematic maven and want to build the perfect machine or are you a romantic creative and want to embrace all that is beautiful in life?

What sort of organizational environment is perfect for you? A benevolent dictatorship or an entrepreneurial think tank. Open, closed? Song or dance? Chaos or Order?

If you've spent time developing your Identity, think about it. Outside of identifying you or your organization, it speaks volumes about the brand expectations.

Action- What should you do?

Live your personal brand to the fullest and be a champion of the brands you represent- your voice is powerful. If you can't be a brand ambassador of your organization, you're in the wrong place

Find three to five key qualities you espouse, your brand pillars. If you honestly consider the why of what you do, these will become apparent. Lead with them inwardly and outwardly.

Honestly, branding is easy- just look yourself in the mirror- its all there.

Giving it a voice in an understandable, distinct way requires some thought.
If you need help building your brand, don't be seduced by snappy identity work. Find a consultant that asks good questions, listens and connects your Vision, Identity, Brand and Environment.

Thoughts on VISION. The first in the VIBE series

VISION

Vision, in pure literal terms, is the ability to see. In the creative world, we think of the word VISION as having the ability to see beyond the apparent. To see possibilities, or even impossibilities. This is an asset of real value to companies, organizations and individuals as they seek to grow an idea. The visionaries of the world are revered for their bravery and innovation- Steve Jobs, Elon Musk, Richard Branson, Tony Hsieh, etc. 

We think having vision is paramount. Here's why we think so, and some ideas to spark visionary thought-

Vision draws from your personal construct. You are your own best point of competitive distinction. By that I mean, your authentic self brings a unique component to the game, and its something that cannot be replicated. Step one, make your vision personal.

A strong Vision is a little bit frightening. But easy is already done. Easy has been tested and is a proven down-the-middle strategy. Problem is, its crowded there, and is a commodity, price driven marketplace. Pushing into a quality driven position requires a little (or a lot of) risk. Step two, unnerve yourself a bit with your audacity.

Vision is foundational, strategy and tactics are dynamic. Your vision needs to be rock solid, and non-negotiable. How you achieve the vision is an ever changing conversation as the marketplace shifts, your brand matures and the vehicles of commerce evolve. Step three- do yourself a favor and spend the time needed to get it tight and right.

What you do may not be visionary, why you do it sure ought to be. What your core business offers may be a commodity (think Zappos) but why is the key. Look up Simon Sinek- he'll explain it better than I ever could.

Here are a few things we do with our clients to get them to give voice their vision:

Ask 'who cares' and 'why does this matter'. You should be a maven for your vision, and passionate about its importance. You must believe your vision will change the world, even in s small way. If not, its commodity, not visionary.

The 5 why's. Make a vision statement.  Write down why it is important. Then write down why that answer is important. Lather, rinse repeat- 5 times to each subsequent answer. I guarantee you will get to a very personal definition of why your vision matters. 

Test it. Start with friends and see how it sounds. Friends are safe, they are generally easy on you. Then try it on some peers- people you know but are not close with. Last, if you are feeling bold, try a perfect stranger. I dare you. It wont hurt, and I bet you'll have to work hard. Good.

Don't get stuck. Move forward all the time. Its ok to try and fail and use these experiences as a way to define the vision. The thought that you can't get to work until you solidly land the vision is noble, but might put you into analysis paralysis. 

Walking the walk- absolutely. Here is the 37 vision.

We are designers. We love design, we are relentlessly creative, we believe it matters. Our work continually seeks to secure the prosperity of the next generation and leave this earth better than we found it. Design can save the world, give me five minutes, and I'll tell you why.

Event: Visual Strategy #2: A Creative Workshop

Building on the success of our initial workshop, we held our second session in collaboration with Floricane and Ansel Olson. Working with a group of key influencers from the city, we presented the same premis- think differently and we offered a few tools to facilitate that work. Over a few hours we engaged the group with these tools to expand on the subject of Richmond’s assets.

As always, we were intrigued by the results. Pushing through the convenient and facile solutions, the group expanded to some visionary territory. 

The notion of Richmond as an incubator and generator of business and creativity as well as a place that reveres and creates history are not necessarily new. The narrative we found the around the character of the environment was an exciting revelation- the physical composition of the city was revealed in a dynamic way.

We will continue our investigation and share the work. The results- well, we don’t know yet. What we do see is inspiration and that is a great path to follow.