Managing Branding in 2020

Through A Crisis, Too

If you’re a marketer like me, you know having a strong, recognizable brand is important to your long-term success: a powerful brand makes your customers feel comfortable; at home, almost.

But sometimes, and especially in times like these, lofty goals and aspirations go by the wayside in favor of short to mid-term gains that are important for cashflow and keeping the company going through the hard times.

I am the first to admit that today my main focus is following up my performance marketing teams, whom already faced drastic budget cuts, while merely providing a lifeline to my branding teams.

One of the problems that branding has is that everyone has an opinion about it. How do we balance the opinions of (other members of) the executive team with the ability to test and use historical and new data?

How can we ensure that we focus on the short, medium, and long-term objectives at the same time?

The answer is simple; you sy the same thing in different ways.

Any strong brand should have a clear, consistent and well-defined tone of voice that echoes the values of the brand.

This could mean being helpful, reassuring, kind.

It’s important as a marketer — whether you’re in a leadership role or not — to be honest, authentic, and genuine about your brand and the value your offering brings. If you can set this out clearly and concisely from the start, you can negate the opinions and views of your team members.

How could you convey those same honest intentions in different ways?

Branding for the long-term:

Every value proposition in the world is about solving a problem, and it is rare that the core problem you’re solving will change, so your long-term messaging should be around addressing fears, allaying concerns and instilling confidence in your audience, as if it were a normal day. You can differentiate the channels in which you distribute your message to free up much needed cash for the short term, but the core message never changes.

It’s in the shorter-term where you have some wiggle room.

Branding for the short to mid-term:

Effective marketing forms connections — which evolve into relationships — by demonstrating an understanding of your audience.

A good example might be Uber Eats and other food delivery services currently offering “contactless” delivery. The product has remained the same, it’s only the delivery (and the delivery of the messaging) that has changed.

Effectively managing your brand now and in the future offers a distinct competitive advantage, as it allows your messaging to pivot in reaction to(or in advance of) events happening in the world around us. This can demonstrate:

• A commitment to your audience
• Business agility
• Effective market-listening
• A clearer voice in a crowded market

It’s unlikely you don’t have competitors, so ensure you manage your brand as efficiently as you can to stay competitive.

Remember that whilst it’s ok to keep one eye on the short-term, tactical goals, your branding should add to your core messaging, rather than dilute it.