Stop Wasting Money and Effort on Your Brand

We can’t always predict the success of every idea. We can, however, develop a focused vision for what we want to achieve, then put the building blocks in place to increase the chances of success.

It’s why we should not Put the Cart Before the Horse.

I know, this sounds like something that doesn’t need to be said, but it happens all the time. We want to move quickly. We want to take action. We want to see results. Despite good intentions, when the process gets shortcut the results can be very disappointing. Even worse, money and time are wasted, and you have to start again.

Sun Tzu said: “Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat.”

Call me a biased strategist, but I often find that jumping into tactics without a plan or clear objectives is risk not worth taking.

Think about the horse and the cart. They connect in the middle, the horse leads, and the cart stays in sync with where the horse is going. If the horse encounters an obstacle, it will adjust the course and the cart will follow. Now, imagine the mindless cart moving on its own.

It’s why I love strategy. To me, strategy is all about setting the foundation of a future that has yet to unfold. Strategy leads to deeper insight, a stronger foundation, a more effective plan, and the flexibility to adapt as new insights emerge.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not in favor of the kind of strategy that takes forever, cost too much, and feels like a reshuffling of existing information. I'm also not a fan of "strategy gurus" who seem to have all the answers without asking too many questions.

When I work with clients on their brand evolution, there are 3 important phases of work:

You'd be surprised how many business and brand leaders jump into Evolve without prioritizing Focus and Connect. When they shortcut or skip those steps, they’re missing the opportunity to shed light on new insights that open the doors of possibility for their brand work to be more effective than ever.

Here’s the thing… the most effective strategy not only clarifies how your brand is meaningfully different from any other option, but it also ensures that it will be conveyed in a way that is relevant to what people care most about.

This is where the fun comes in → focusing on the emotional drivers that have the most influence consumer behavior. Figure those out and the strategy will start to unfold. Before you know it, the Limbic Sparks will be flying → those moments when your brand has people at hello and they keep coming back for more.

It’s time to Put Down the Cart, and Go Get the Horse.

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