Brands often need new momentum in a different direction.

They get stuck in a business that made sense ten years ago (or ten minutes ago). How do you shift the energy forward toward a new destination and head down a different fork in the road?

I’m fond of the word JOURNEY because it aptly describes what you want to do.

A journey, with roots from Latin diurnum (daily portion) or Old French jornee or a day’s travel, a day’s work. The word diurnal has its roots from the same place meaning of or part of a day.

To move a brand toward a new direction, you need to start with a first step and take action.

 

Moving a Brand Along a Journey

 

Businesses sometimes need to go on sustainability or innovation journeys. They need to demonstrate to current and new customers that they are heading toward a new North Star that will help them move toward a revised vision.

• The coal mine that wants to refocus attention on their clean coal approach is on a long journey. But it begins with a single footstep in the right direction.
• The unhealthy fast-food restaurant wants to head towards better and more nutritious meals has to walk down a different path toward a healthier destination.
• The clothing company that wants to stop outsourcing manufacturing and only sell American-made goods, has to travel on a different pathway.

As an organization realizes it needs to shift direction, they must ask these questions:

1. Why will anyone believe that we are changing?
2. What tangible evidence can we quickly give that says we are serious and that the change isn’t just window dressing?
3. Who will give us frank and honest feedback on this new direction to help keep us truthful by holding us to our new standards? You need someone to call out your bullshit particularly when you get to a decision point that will cost money because of the new strategy.
4. Can we identify companies who have started on a similar path and learn from their journey? Even if outside our industry, what lessons can we glean from their experiences?
5. What are the traps that others have fallen into like over promising and under delivering?
6. How can we rally the entire organization to believe the new direction first – before we try to convince the outside world of our path?
7. What are some concrete and measurable milestones that will help us keep score along this new path?
8. Communicating a new promise allows you to identify your vision without doing everything at once. It explicitly says we are walking along this route toward this new destination. Come along for the trip.

A company that wants to become more sustainable may need to spend time with communities who live this mission. In listening and learning from them, you gain new sensitivity to how they view greenwashing versus authentic action.

The fast-food company that wants to be healthier must make some hard decisions to serve this new tribe and prove their commitment. Giving apples instead of French fries in a happy meal is a step in the right direction. But you need the next phase of the journey quickly. What new path or direction is your business or brand heading toward – and why will the community you want to serve believe you mean it?

The first step in the journey isn’t to articulate a promise, commitment, or conviction.

The real first step is when you feel the new direction in your bones.

If you don’t have that visceral experience, you will never succeed at taking others along on your journey. Humans are good at seeing through the smoke and mirrors.

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Thinking of shifting directions and heading on a new journey? Hire a marketing sherpa to help guide your journey. Call me at 919 720 0995.

Photo credit: https://pixabay.com/en/path-hiking-trail-grass-travel-18197/ Free Creative Commons