Brands are symbols for change
I was intrigued to listen to a Ted Talk the other day about the effect of the re-introduction of the wolf back into the yellow stone national park eco-system. The short of it is that their introduction acts as a catalyst, spiralling off a number of connected events that cause massive positive change.
Businesses are complex connected environments also. We can test and measure a lot. But not everything, and we are fools if we think we can understand the complete complexity of the business systems that are at play at any one time in terms of the macro and micro forces. Answering one question often leads to more questions.
So how do you navigate and adapt your businesses to changes in the market? One option is to sit around and wait for the external environment to create a significant event. In my experience unforeseen change events like this can be extremely turbulent and painful to many but they can be ultimately very rewarding to your organisation. A clean up or wake up call can be difficult but what you need sometimes. The alternative option is to be proactive about change which means you can have some say over how painful the change element needs to be. You can be in control of the change and your own destiny.
The question we need to ask is..."what can be introduced or removed from the environment that you control, to create a catalyst event for positive change." I believe that we can create "inspired change" through the creation of change symbols. Re-Branding an existing business or product is one of the foremost change effects you have the power to perform. If used well it can have a dramatic effect on the success of your business in terms of alignment with customer needs or repositioning for better profitability.
Do you change your clothes every year? Most of us would say yes to this I think. Styles change, and you change. You buy new clothes because they better reflect who you are or want to become. They also are a reflection of the groups you relate to and the people you like. Brands are like clothing, they are the outer layer that sits on top and they can be felt at many levels of your organisation. Brands say a lot about a company and its level of self respect. They need to adapt to their environment and change as businesses change. They need to grow with you. Brands need to appeal to and fit with customers that share common beliefs. Most of all your brand needs to connect with your product or service and be a symbol for everything you believe in. What does your brand say about your organisation?