We’re all dreamers. As owners and representatives of our brands – when you take a step back and think about where you’ve been – where you are – and where you want to be – what do you see? Have you inadvertently chosen a path of mediocrity and complacency? Have you lost sight of your purpose in the pursuit of profit? Or maybe your starting something new and want to kick-start with confidence.
As T.E. Lawrence so aptly states:
“All men dream, but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds, wake in the day to find that it was vanity; but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act on their dreams with open eyes, to make them possible.”
The dreamers of the day are dangerous men. The dreamers of the day are proudly sharing the message of their nonprofits. The dreamers of the day are creating products that serve a specific, even if-at-times ridiculously simple, need. The dreamers of the day ship. They hustle and tinker and iterate and constantly make things better, but never forget why they’re doing it.
Dangerous brands are confident. Dangerous brands are intentional. They have a clearly defined purpose and plan. This, so often, as a branding company, is where we step in.
A sexy website – a bold logo – and engaging marketing piece – and a sound marketing strategy – are all tools to help you define, articulate, and market your brand. They create an experience. They equip you to be so dashing and dangerous.
But each is a piece to a bigger brand puzzle. And it all begins with establishing a strong foundation. Every single extension of your brand begins with an engaging, memorable story. What story are you telling?
Today, grab a piece of paper and respond to these four questions about your own brand (heck – send me an email and let me know what you came up with):
- Why does my brand exist?
- What specific need does my brand address?
- Why should the world give a damn about my brand?
- How does my brand contribute to the world I want to create?
Every compelling brand exists to serve others. An app that makes your life more convenient. A technology that saves lives. A mission that inspires action. If your purpose is ambiguous – your sales will falter and your support will suffer.
We’re all dreamers. But here’s to being dreamers of the day. Here’s to growing our brand’s with confidence. Here’s to being dangerous.
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Note for our Nashville-based readers: On Thursday, November 14 at Emma’s Bistro, in coordination with our friends at The Skillery, we’re leading a collaborative workshop on “understanding your brand and growing with purpose”. It’s going to be a great time and tickets are limited. Grab your ticket here.