The times they are a-changin. Don’t leave your brand blowin’ in the wind.
Whether you believe that the entire world trading order has fundamentally collapsed, or view the latest situation as an unfortunate down-line on the growth graph, there is no doubt that previously shared assumptions can no longer be taken for granted.
Tariffs, reprisal tariffs, reprisals against reprisals and the emergence of new alliances will have lasting implications. Trust takes decades to build and minutes to destroy.
So while businesses are desperately trying to re-route supply chains and re-calculate costs, it might seem odd to recommend that they also take stock of their brands. But businesses should be thinking about how their brands respond to change because your brand is a long-term commitment and goodwill provides protection in troubled times.
Custodians should be asking some fundamental questions:
Do the things the brand stands for remain appropriate in the current climate - given that competitors, customers, employees - and the established world order - have all changed?
Is the positioning projected in a way that ensures the brand stands out - through an identity that is relevant and aligned across every medium?
Is the way the brand stands up in marketing and communication distinctive, memorable and relevant - to an audience that may have woken up thinking very differently about their priorities?
If the answers are not at hand or haven’t been revised recently, then now is the time to act. Lasting brands must be adjusted to the winds of change and can provide security from turmoil.
John Adams, a US president from a different if equally tumultuous time, said “Every problem is an opportunity in disguise.” To grasp the opportunity, businesses must understand how and when to act. Your brand might not be a complete unknown, but can it shelter you from the storm?
Written by Simon Case
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