Board to brand
Thinking Differently.
Does your board have the brand expertise to grow your business?
I’m not even thinking about advertising, marketing mechanics, sales success, social media, creative campaigns, third-party collaborations, websites, customer experience, CRM or even the product, which are of course super important but not as crucial as the glue that holds it all together – the brand.
All businesses need to have a plan to pivot from, consistently and proactively, especially at board level. Fortuitously, in my personal experience - from global advertising leaders Havas Advertising to hospitality disruptors YO! Sushi and heritage football club Chelsea FC – I have worked with founders and forward-thinking CEOs who do recognise the importance of their brand strategy.
Interestingly, when a founder works with a business, normally at pre-private equity stage, the brand core is always considered. When I worked with YO! Sushi, even though the founder had just departed after the first PE sale to Primary Capital following ten years of business, we always considered the essence of Simon Woodroffe, in all campaigns. It was important to retain his vision, love for a kaizen conveyor belt, respect of the Japanese culture, primary colour palette, chef curated dishes and entrepreneurial environment which constantly encouraged creativity.
Another brand I’ve worked many years with, Virgin Atlantic, consistently curates founder Richard Branson’s passion for exploration, disruption and celebrates the brand values of seeing the world differently. We once filmed Richard on a motorbike, couriering customers to the upper-class lounge, pouring them a cocktail, mingling with the people, whisking them off to some fabulous destination in New York, which won many awards. Now Virgin Atlantic are promoting diversity and forward-thinking freedom regarding fluidity in gender, dress code and even the wearing of make-up. Their powerful, progressive, people biased brand manifesto and consistent brand positioning today, can never be underestimated.
As my favourite brand director, board member, CEO and founder of all time, Steve Jobs, said,
‘(brand) marketing is about values. We currently live in a very complicated noisy world. So, we have to be clear on what we really want to be known as. The Apple brand is one of the best brands. But it still needs investment and caring in order to retain its brilliance … Our customer wants to know who Apple is and what does it stand for. It’s not about the product.'
… Apple, as their core brand value proposition, believe people with passion can change the world for the better.
The Apple brand has always been strong, proffering a forward-thinking kind of company with a different view of the world. Steve Jobs had a unique talent for identifying what was important & what was not brand-wise, and, he had the courage to avoid what he felt was nonessential. He also knew the power of brand ambassadors.
‘Think Different’ was the brand identity, which went on to all packaging and advertising, when Steve Jobs took over as interim CEO of Apple in 1997. There’s a really interesting Apple brand video to back up the campaign, curated by his then ad agency TBWA\CHIAT\DAY, a short advertisement style film shot in grainy black and white, curating visionary leaders as brand ambassador associators, honouring visionary, iconic players like Bob Dylan, Mohammed Ali, John Lennon, Martin Luther King, Maria Callas, Hitchcock etc.
BUT, you’ve got to be consistent and comprehensive in your usage of your brand identity. Apple actually lost the ability to use this amazing brand differentiator to Swiss watchmaker Swatch this year, in a court fight. Swatch successfully challenged Apple’s “Think Different” copyright before the European Union Intellectual Property Office on the basis that the slogan was no longer being used.
In light of the vast changes impacting global businesses currently and the uncertainty surrounding decision making processes, I propose the most important agenda in any commercial operation has to be brand.
Going back to basics. Concentrating on the core nucleus of the company, why it exists, what it is, the mission, mantra, defining strapline and value proposition. Before any price, product or promotion decisions are made. In order to be able to progress and prosper, everyone on the board needs to know what the brand stands for and what it wants to achieve. Brand leadership and communications is a board initiative I believe many businesses choose to ignore at their peril.
According to a major global consumer report carried out by my former business partner Havas Advertising, only 20% of brands worldwide meaningfully and positively impact people’s lives. As social technology continues to drive consumer activism, brands are increasingly coming up short and only 47% of brands are seen as trustworthy whilst 75% could disappear and be easily replaced.
As 71% of consumers have little faith that brands will deliver on their promises, consumers are now desperately seeking brands that will make a meaningful difference – with 73% saying brands must act now for the good of society and the planet.
So, in summary, what does your brand stand for, how is it positioned, how is it displaying its ethos, and do you consistently give it the boardroom attention it deserves?
GHBRAND bring best brand experience, deep business understanding, MBA thought leadership, digital articulation, due diligence, constructive criticism, creativity & commerciality, an ability to challenge, a wealth of world class contacts and best marketing practise to the table.
For further information please contact georgia@ghbrand.co.uk