Rejuvenating Your Brand in a Chaotic World
Great leaders know that stagnant brands lose their appeal – quickly! This isn't the big news. It's always been true, but two things are different and unprecedented now. First, the speed at which demographics are changing and, second, profound changes in how people prioritize to what they devote time, money, and attention. The "great resignation" is upon us, but it is part of a larger "mass re-prioritization."
Some organizations are experiencing a decline in donor interest, aging membership, and changes in what captures interest. Even organizations that have success attracting new generations find they engage differently. Leaders who fail to re-evaluate their brand and communication strategy put their feet on the fast track to their demise. Amy Small, Executive Vice President of Creative and Brand at Media Cause, reminds her clients that their brand is not about them – it's about your audience. "You need to do the extra work of stepping outside the organizational view, "says Amy.
Exceptional leaders are acting now to rejuvenate their organization's brands.
It can be daunting to look at your company's brand in light of massive change and accept what is no longer relevant, especially when doing so means letting go of assumptions and even long-held transitions. Leadership teams share the challenge that may have created incredible success – in the past. Ironically, leaders tend to be more blinded by "the way things were" if they have been highly successful. Who will change first, you and your team or your audience?
Leaders can revitalize their brand by doing three things.
1. Use a multi-pronged analytic focus.
Amy utilizes a three-pronged approach when looking at a brand; the organization's view of itself, the audience's view, and the competitive landscape. Marrying all three builds a robust vision of issues, needs, and goals. "All of these need to be taken into consideration for the organization to communicate on a level that resonates and differentiates themselves to their audience," Amy states.
2. Find the sticking points.
Inevitably, you will hit resistance on the path to a brand reset. It's often internal resistance – board members, persistent staff members, or even the dreaded marketing committee. Sometimes those people pushing back or stalling position themselves as the "devil's advocate," all edging they act in the organization's best interest. Sometimes all you achieve is delay and distraction, preventing forward momentum. Your organization needs to address these roadblocks first, with analytics, data, and strong leadership to help people act despite their fears and anxiety about the impending changes.
3. Bring back emotion!
Analytics are essential to making fact-based decisions for your organization. But are we analyzing the heck out of everything when it comes to taking our brand to the market, well beyond the point it is valid? Organizations can get so bogged down with the analytics of every marketing tactic that we've forgotten the emotional piece. Emotions make people act! Emotions drive your audience to make decisions, and it's important to remember that you want your message to move people and engage with your organization. This is far more effective than any slick sales pitch.
It may seem like reviewing your brand is the last thing you should do in this tumultuous time. However, precisely because so much change has and continues to occur, it is time for you to take a hard look at your organization's ability to connect with those who are willing and able to be generous. It is imperative to know where you stand to avoid being lost in the shuffle of people reprioritizing to whom they give, how much, and when. As Amy says, "It takes evolution to stay viable and fulfill your mission, and you cannot just keep doing the same thing over and over again."
