A philosopher’s take on (re)brand

Enough isn’t enough.

Our beating hearts are voracious. They hunger for constant displays of attention and affection, and yearn for meaningful connection. So too, do your customers.

Now at first blush, this sentiment may seem trivial and overly romanticized, but if you lose the ability to connect deeply with your audience, how can you ever expect to direct them toward action?

Consider if you will, the emotional and economic turmoil faced by most, if not all, during this global pandemic. In a socially-distant world, even as some restrictions are lifted, we hunger for human connection, reassurance and happiness. Although technological advancements may allow us to exist more and more comfortably in a perpetual state of virtual reality, we yearn for humanity at our fingertips; the electronic screen version of a warm handshake as opposed to the cold shoulder of a sterile, online interaction.

It’s safe to say–from behind your face mask–that these are still very uncertain times. And while the phrase “new world” or “new reality” is widely overused, the sentiment still holds true. The ways in which we conduct business and spend time and money continue to change, and most leaders and managers are left wondering to what degree they stay the course of business vs attempt to alter the trajectory of their operational drift. When faced with losses in revenue, many organizations look to marketing as an expendable expense, when in fact its function and purpose–to hook, to say what and why you are in support of brand’s existence to prove you are, and to deliver a specific call to action–is never more needed or appreciated by audiences thirsting for contentment and searching for safety and security among like-minded people.

Now, more than ever, is the time to re-assess your brand and sharpen your marketing tools to solve newly emerging pain points while anticipating the evolving needs, wants, hopes and fears of your customers, clients or visitors – old and hopefully new to be – in the months and years ahead. Get your brand noticed, embraced, and most importantly, enhanced, to let it take you where you want and need it to go.

From simple re-tooling to strategic re-positioning, successful re-branding efforts can help quicken your pace in response to the urgency in which you must keep satisfying your customers.

TO RIFF ON DESCARTES,
I THINK, THEREFORE I AM. I AM, THEREFORE I BRAND.

Brand is not a do or do not proposition. Everyone has one. And whether you choose to define it as a collection of all the thoughts and feelings a person, an audience, and even an entire industry holds for you (which we do), or as the beating heart of an organization, pulsing with core values, ideals and beliefs (which we also do), the one undeniable constant is that branding (as experiential evidence of why you matter, why people should care, and why they can’t live without you) is the study of people, and the constant pursuit of happiness for your customers. 

Regardless of industry, audience or commodity, your brand is a testament to the raw power of the human condition – in celebration of aspiration, growth and positive emotion in the face of adversity. It is your connection to real people looking for a real solution to whatever real doubts and fears keep them up in the night. It’s not enough to just stress cost or “quality” of goods or services alone. How you matter matters. And a simple, strong, comprehensive and highly-focused brand that not only exists to create happiness and better the lives of others, but is actually perceived and understood to do so by means of courageous creative and purposeful, powerful marketing driven by that brand, matters most of all.

Enough is never enough for the hungry heart. Be bold enough to tug at a few heartstrings or tickle a few funny-bones, and brave enough to slay a few monsters under the bed. Be a leader. Be a hero. Avoid the risk of falling out of touch and out of mind with your audience, and contact us today to learn how to keep satisfying your customers – the Unfussy way.