On brand.
For the lone wolves, free thinkers, and unique creators, here are a few thoughts and ideas to help big dreamers like you go bigger.
Failure is Not a Problem
I just got done doing all my forecasting. And I have these really fancy spreadsheets with all these numbers on them. And I've got targets and I've got expectations. I look at the numbers, and they're pretty scary. It brings up a lot of questions, like, what if I fail? And will I be disappointed?
Is Branding Dead? Part 1 of 2
Did you know that branding is dead? Here I am for the past 20 plus years talking about the virtues of branding and now branding is rendered useless. Oh, back in the 50s, maybe it made sense to sell soap or toothpaste, but now? In this video, I tell you about a recent purchase of mine that went from product recommendation straight to purchase. I didn't read anything about the brand. I didn't investigate the artisan craftspeople that put the product together. Or how it was engineered. I didn't care about the story. I didn't care where it was made. I just trusted my friend and bought it. So here I am investing—or some might say wasting—my career as a brand coach. So, I ask you, why even bother with branding?
3 Ways to Spark a Brand Breakout
I remember when Green Day's album called "Dookie" hit in 1994. I became a huge fan of it. You'll find a song on it called Welcome to Paradise, which was one of the many hits on that album. It reached number 56 on the Billboard charts. Did you know that song was actually on the previous album? It was released three years prior. So Welcome to Paradise did nothing in 1991. And then it did something in 1994. It's the exact same song note for note lyric for lyric. What changed?
Big Promise = Big Results
Have you articulated or written your big promise? All great brands have a big promise attached to it. If you don't have one written, you're missing out on two tremendous opportunities: 1. A big promise is a powerful way to connect to your customers. 2. A big promise is an equally powerful way to keep you consistent over time because your big promise becomes the centerpiece for your storytelling. The big promise consists of 4 essential elements: 1. Articulate the desired end result: This is what your customers want more than anything else from you. 2. Identify the barriers: So what is the action that they need to take, but they're not taking it because they don't know how to take it? With these two elements, your big promise is 80% there. The last two elements are going to help elevate your big promise to the next level. 3. Timing: When are your customers going to get the desired end result? The quicker the better. 4. Eliminate excuses: This is about relating to your customers with what's blocking them inside from doing anything at all. I used this 4-part template for the big promise for the title on my webinar. It has each component baked in. See if you can identify them: How to break free from your draining job and finally pursue the work you dreamed of in as little as four weeks, even if that feels impossible right now. If you can write your big promise, big results are sure to follow. The content for this post was inspired by this article: https://www.marketingcipher.com/4-step-formula-to-crafting-your-products-big-promise/