Let Your Brand Flow
The other day I was scrolling through one of my Chicago community groups on Facebook, and I came across a post in which someone complained about how the city’s public drinking fountains constantly spout water at all times (as opposed to pressing a button to trigger the water flow), believing it to be “wasteful”. Of course by the time I saw the post, numerous people had already commented to correctly point out that the fountains are rigged this way to minimize contamination of the drinking water, as constantly-flowing water is generally cleaner than water that’s been sitting still. It’s the same reason why it is safe to drink from a natural spring and not from a lake.
We know that stagnation is bad for drinking water, but it got me thinking, the same can certainly be said for brands. Because a brand that is not constantly moving forward is at risk of stagnation, which can be harmful to the business that depends on it to live and thrive. In a world where people respond to the new and the novel, a stagnant brand can get left behind in a stream of innovation and lose that all-important appeal to consumers in the market. Worse yet, a stagnant brand can become contaminated by old products and stale ideas that inevitably fester over time. We’ve seen it happen to brands like Blockbuster, Kodak, Nokia, Blackberry, Borders, MySpace, and countless others who failed to adapt to changing trends and technological advancements.
What causes a brand to become stagnant? Sometimes it can be complacency in the market, a feeling once you’re on top you can’t be knocked down. Other times it can be due to hubris exhibited by the decision makers, thinking they know what the customer wants more than the customer does. And when companies do find themselves falling behind their competitors, the knee-jerk reaction is often to hastily push out half-baked ideas without investing in the time and research necessary to let those ideas fully develop into products that people may actually want.
Of course it can be difficult to predict future market trends in order to stay competitive. So how does a brand avoid stagnation? By letting go of rigidity and embracing fluidity, and letting your brand flow like water from a fountain or spring. In essence, this means to be open to changing drifts and constantly prepare for the future, even in times of prosperity, in the interest of keeping things fresh. Tactics that brand owners can employ to maintain flow include:
- Keep a watchful eye on industry trends. Proper and thorough market research can give companies valuable insight on what people respond to, what they want and don’t want, and what consumer issues and concerns have yet to be addressed.
- Adapt a “blue ocean” strategy. Rather than try to outpace competitors in a crowded marketplace, seek out niches that other companies have yet to fill that can provide convenience and value to consumers. Brands that have successfully utilized the blue ocean strategy include Netflix, Tesla, Nintendo, Salesforce, Zara and many others.
- Empower your product and development teams. Be open to new ideas from employees who are passionate about what they do for your company and want to be seen for their contributions. Employees are consumers too, after all, and they can bring in fresh perspectives not previously considered by decision makers.
- Continuously evolve your brand’s image. Keep your brand fresh by occasionally updating its logos and marks, exploring new directions in marketing key visuals, and leveraging new media platforms to broaden consumer outreach.
We at Cre@te recently underwent our own brand refresh by adapting a new logo, updating our website and social media channels, and opening up to new industries to expand our clientele. We’ve come a long way in our journey from mobile app development to creative marketing, and we’ve done so by embracing fluidity and letting our brand flow. Let our team of talented designers and experienced strategists help carry your brand forward with innovative solutions that elevate your business to the next level.
Contact Cre@te today and unlock your brand’s full creative potential.
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By Brian Favia
Creative Director
- 4 weeks