Whether it’s your brand tone or through visual identity, the best brands speak their own language to their target audience. No, not that generic internet speak or the latest visual trends, some they own past a post.
This print ad appeared in 1988 and can still be recognised as Nike over 30 years later.
A good example is McDonald’s who use their products to make a simple outdoor billboard their own.
It’s clear their secret language creates a private moment between the brand and those who “get it”.
7. Think of the galaxy, far, far away
(
It’s May, we had a to make a Star Wars reference.) But to the point – what is your brand going to be in 2, 5 or 10 years from now? Having a service or product offering that only solves a problem today ignores the reality that consumer behaviour changes at the speed of a click.
Your brand strategy needs to be as future-proof as possible;
look at the future and what you see there should be informing your approach today.
8.
To get attention, create tension
A brand narrative needs tension to captivate a core audience and sell your offering.
Seth Godin explains it best:
9. Actually make a hard decision
You know you have the makings of a great strategy if you are forced into making hard decisions. Having a point of view means you won’t please everyone, and you shouldn’t. The brands we admire the most have heavy narratives that push consumers to believe in them and walk their journey together.
10. Relief beats guilt. Reward beats fears
You will always have the choice to go positive or negative in your strategy. Tell the scary, shame-based story or the positive, goal-oriented story. Neither is inherently wrong, but some do work better than others. Charity, global warming, war – why do none of these narratives work to permanently move people? Because they’re shame based. They inspire guilt. They create a feeling that may motivate in the short term, but most people want to avoid and escape in the long term.