Branding is Expensive 💸
Hey Friends,
Happy to announce that it’s June and summer BBQs, beach outings, and long days in the sun are upon us.
Don’t forget the sunscreen and cold beer (Cape May Brewing Always Ready is my current favorite) as those two items are a requirement to living your best summer IMO.
Now when it comes to branding, there are also a set of requirements needed to ensure you properly put your best foot forward. To matter to your audience, it takes a lot more than Facebook ads and a few tone-deaf emails. It takes a few non-negotiables.
Branding Requires…
Capital:
I’ve had this conversation a lot over the past few months. Yes, inflation has hit the marketing world with services going up in price as the cost to do business has also risen.
This isn’t just here in the USA, but globally. What might have cost $25k last year is now creeping into the $30k range. As you look to invest in your brand and marketing efforts, take inflation into account because your vendors and agencies are.
Time:
Every business either needs it done yesterday or is up against some unrealistic deadline because of funding, a conference/tradeshow, or a big announcement. Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither should your brand.
Let’s take a standard brand refresh (standard = update creative, messaging, and web). 3 to 4 months is how long it’ll probably take so I’d like to overestimate to account for scope creep, combatting c-suite opinions, and current workload. Realistically we’re looking at 6 months.
As they say, it’s better to underpromise and overdeliver.
Effort:
Branding is an active sport. It’s not a “sign the contract and see you in 6-months” type of engagement. There’s pushing and pulling. Collaborating and truthful conversations to be had.
Anything worth doing is worth doing it right so put in the effort.
Consistency:
Too many businesses fizzle out as they get closer to the finish line. This is when it’s time to put an eye on the prize and finish strong.
This is really the secret sauce to marketing and branding. Consistency breeds a culture of excellence and the tipping point is more often closer than we all think. Once we pass that point, compound gains are had and we unlock a whole new level of mattering to our audience.
Tenacity:
As a marketing and branding consultant, I’m driven by unlocking the right insights and engaging in a pursuit of bringing out the best with the organizations I work with. This tenacity is obsessive because I truly believe in the power of brand and that unlocking the your businesses ‘brand code’, you can see results and success that you never thought possible.
A great team:
Personality and vibe matter when choosing an agency, not just capabilities. This is why I take agency recommendations as seriously as I do because it’s not a matter of being the best but a matter of collaborating with the best. Not all service providers, vendors, consultants, and agencies are built the same.
Remember, we’re going to get intimate and have deep reverberating conversations. The right team is essential to bringing out the best in an organization.
Courage:
Remember that scene from Glengarry Glen Ross when Alec Baldwin asks: “do you know what it takes to sell real estate? Brass balls!”. If you haven’t seen the movie I highly recommend it.
The same is true for taking your brand to the next level. It takes a commitment to stay courageous and lead the organization to new heights. We do so because we care. We care about our business and most importantly, we care about our customers.
“From caring comes courage.” —Lao Tzu
Alignment:
All facets of the team must understand the implications of why this commitment to leveling up your brand (and ultimately marketing) is important and their role within the ecosystem.
Alignment in branding and marketing is so important and cannot be overlooked. This is when organizations get in trouble.
With this non-exhaustive list of branding requirements, the most important question we have to ask is… Imagine if you had to do it twice?
Do it right or do it twice.
That’s it for this week. While branding and marketing can seem like a never-ending expense, doing it wrong or not doing it at all more often than not is more costly in the long run.
And that’s why we’re in business. For success in the long run.
- Steven