Topics

Business

The Value of Mapping Business Strategy to Brand Strategy

February 14, 2017 —

The Value of Mapping Business Strategy to Brand Strategy

Business strategy and brand strategy should be closely linked There’s a perception among many executives that business strategy is strategic, and brand strategy is a marketing tool – and not a strategic asset. As a result, businesses set ambitious goals, but don’t consider how investing in and developing a brand strategy could help get them there. As a brand strategy agency, we rely heavily on our client’s full disclosure of their business strategy – their goals and objectives, pitch decks, revenue reports, exit strategy – to build a meaningful, emotive brand that will transform their...
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Top 10 Brand Strategy Articles of 2016

December 26, 2016 —

Top 10 Brand Strategy Articles of 2016

Top Brand Strategy Articles of 2016 In 2016, we created a lot of content meant to help you position your brand and business to thrive. These are the buzz-worthy posts that resonated the most this year. Enjoy our top 10 brand strategy articles. The Role of Company Culture in Business Success What is a Brand Promise and Why Do You Need One? Brand and Marketing? What’s the Difference? Brand Narrative is a Necessary Part of Brand Strategy Defining What a Brand Is: Why Is It So Hard? HR and Marketing: Building Your Employer Brand Together Investing in Brand Strategy Is Only Step One...
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Building the Business Case for your Rebrand Project

November 8, 2016 —

Building the Business Case for your Rebrand Project

Recognizing the Need for a Change Why build a business case for your rebrand? You know when your business needs one. There are lots of warning signs that indicate the need for a new brand. Whether it’s new, high-performing competition, an outdated look and feel, uninspired employees, dropping engagement and productivity within the workplace, trouble recruiting or retaining top talent, or a brand that’s simply fallen behind its own positioning, you need a change. Often those in HR and marketing are the first to notice the need for a change. The current brand is just no longer doing the work...
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The Art of Swift, Smart Decision Making in Business

October 4, 2016 —

The Art of Swift, Smart Decision Making in Business

Too Many Choices Business leaders can be gun-shy about making decisions – big and small, important and minute –when it comes to both their business and their brand. The abundance of scenarios about the unknown can easily feel overwhelming. But effective leadership hinges on effective decision making. And it’s impossible to choose a direction when you’re trying to please everyone and do everything. To Compete, You Have to Decide At the end of the day, there’s no room or time for slow decision making in today’s competitive, fast-paced landscape. In fact, businesses and brands in every industry...
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The Value of Questioning in Business

September 26, 2016 —

The Value of Questioning in Business

Questions for your business We’ve been reading Warren Berger’s fascinating book, “A More Beautiful Question: The Power of Inquiry to Spark Breakthrough Ideas”. The book’s basic premise is that we simply don’t ask enough questions these days. As youngsters, we were full of questions, but as we mature many of us lose this vital skill (while those who retain it become stellar innovators and leaders). “A More Beautiful Question” is a helpful guide to developing a more question-based approach to life, society, and business. It explores a flow of questioning from “Why?” to “What if?” to “How?”,...
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Your Business Issues Just Might Have A Brand Solution

September 20, 2016 —

Your Business Issues Just Might Have A Brand Solution

Top-of-Mind Business Issues for the C-Suite When you spend a lot of time working with people in the C-suite, you’re exposed to C-sized business issues. And those larger strategic problems can’t be solved by the CEO alone, or often times by existing resources. When changes in your industry push you to shift business strategy, it’s a sign that your brand strategy needs to shift in a synchronized way in order to reposition for success. We’ve surveyed C-level executives about the number one desire they have for their brand strategy.  Know what they want? Differentiation. A competitive advantage....
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Why Good Listening Matters in Business

September 2, 2016 —

Why Good Listening Matters in Business

Listen Up There are a lot of differing opinions about what good listening really means, let alone what it can do for your business. In one camp, good listening simply means not speaking over others when they are talking. While others think listening is about verbal acknowledgement.  And there are those who wait until the speaker is done, then promptly repeat everything back to them. But are any of these really impactful, productive ways of listening? Falling Short This kind of one-dimensional listening falls short for many reasons. It isn’t what great listeners are actually...
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The Value of a Sales-Led Brand Strategy For High-Growth Companies

August 1, 2016 —

The Value of a Sales-Led Brand Strategy For High-Growth Companies

A Sales Perspective Tracy Lloyd, founding partner and Chief Strategy Officer of Emotive Brand, shares how her sales background informs her work today, and offers insights on the true value of bringing sales to the strategy table. Tell us about your sales background. I have an interesting background that has led me to the agency world, and on to brand strategy. Initially, I got my start in non-profit fundraising and development. A start-up CEO bought an expensive table from me to attend a gala event I was hosting. Throughout the sales process of getting that deal done, he said to me that I...
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How Do You Create a New Brand Category?

July 27, 2016 —

How Do You Create a New Brand Category?

All Signs Point to a New Brand Category Traditional wisdom suggests that creating a new brand category is a massive undertaking. In our recent post on category change, we wrote about when it’s time to consider creating a new category. In that post we were clear: undergoing a category change is not something for the faint of heart. If you’re leading the effort, you’ll need thick skin, an iron will, and if you don’t have deep pockets, you’ll need to be extra resourceful. Creating a new brand category requires big ideas that literally think outside the box — that’s the whole point. You’ll...
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Agile Brands Break Through

June 29, 2016 —

Agile Brands Break Through

Agile Brands are the New Norm More than ever before, people expect brands to evolve around their needs, anticipate their desires, and cater to the ways they want to connect with the world. The expectation to keep up with market innovations and business trends translates into a demand for agile brands. Customer behavior is always shifting, and values are changing faster than most companies can keep up with. Consequently, people dismiss brand communications that are behind the consumer curve. For businesses, this mean it’s often hard to keep up. Fittingly, Wired calls this an ear of...
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