THE POWER OF BRAND
"An apple a day" what apple sellers say - Open Mike Eagle
Yes it’s true, and of course I am going to talk of the power of brand, and why we should care more about brands and where they can take us, but bear with me.
Brands are like the story a company tells. Ideas may be the starting point, when coming up with the new, but a brand is what gives those ideas legs. It's the narrative that connects with people, making them feel a part of something more significant. When a brand communicates its journey, values, and purpose, it's more than a product or service; it's an experience that resonates with customers on a personal and emotional level.
Good brands are trust-builders. In a market flooded with choices, people stick to what they know. A brand becomes a promise – of quality, reliability, and consistency. When a brand keeps that promise, it's like earning the trust of your customers, turning them into fans. It's beyond just selling a product; it's about building emotional connections.
Brands are both inwards and outward facing. The vision of a brand will give the business a compass when thinking about which direction to move, where to manufacture products, having positive environmental effects and the right people to employ (and many more things). While for us as consumers the brands we chose speak about our own values, whether that’s the lifestyles we lead (headspace, Nike), wellbeing (Grubby, Zoe, Heights), our environmental sensibilities (Patagonia, Tesla), or the tribes we belong to (Apple, Dr. Martens).
What's fascinating is how brands are like shape-shifters. Ideas can be fleeting, but a strong brand has the ability to adapt without losing its core identity. It's like staying relevant without losing sight of who you are. This adaptability ensures that a brand doesn't become yesterday's news.
To understand the value a brand can have, Nike is currently worth 159.17 billion US dollars, with over 1,100 global Nike Stores, manufacturing across 41 different countries with over 1.1m workers, selling immeasurable numbers of different items. A long way from Bill Bowerman experimenting with a waffle-iron to create a new sole for a track shoe.
Brands are the secret sauce to lasting success. They turn ideas into meaningful experiences, build trust in a crowded market, and have the flexibility to develop. Crafting a solid brand has the power to take a great idea and make a much larger impact.
