Doctor Strange in Avengers: Infinity War uses the Eye of Agamotto (which contains the Time Stone) to peer into multiple future timelines. After examining 14 million outcomes, he chooses the one possible future where the Avengers could defeat Thanos and save the universe.
Sounds exciting, right? But, unlike Doctor Strange, putting all hope in one outcome doesn’t sound like a great strategy for building a brand. He doesn’t even reveal his plan to his teammates.
Unlike Hollywood, daily obstacles can erode our brands, particularly when we are unable to predict the future. Being able to know tomorrow’s weather or understand the meaning behind animals behaving strangely would be cool though, wouldn’t it? The diligent path is understanding your core brand. Knowing your values and purpose, setting up a deep and authentic foundation of beliefs, and sharing those with the world to strategically weather what is to come. There is much to endure—the onset of AI, company missteps, or navigating through change, to name a few. Chances are these things are already impacting your brand. So where do we start?
Your Brand Is No Strange-r
If you are uncertain about your brand, or where to begin, remember branding is a human-to-human endeavor. You can cross check this with any study, but they all will pull out the same result—your brand needs to care. To care, you need to build emotion. For you, that means never ignoring your target audience. For the consumer, it’s the reason they choose you, again and again, over your competitor. Branding is about differentiation and defining your position among your competitors. Your company may offer similar services and products, but it will be your consistent use of your core brand elements that creates what others can’t emulate. Let’s ensure your business is the more appealing option than your competitor by building those emotional buy-ins.
Brand strategy is where we begin. It is the long-term plan that procures all the intangible elements of your brand. To take it a little further, it’s a collection of the consumers’ memories and associations with your company. What it’s not are marketing tactics such as social media marketing or content marketing. These tactics reflect your brand voice and tone, and are very important, but are your front line to the deeper you. Think of marketing tactics like a handshake, but not the person you would share intimate conversation with over dinner. By defining your core brand elements, you will create something that is impossible to imitate.
The elements of a good brand strategy are:
- Purpose
- Vision
- Mission
- Values
- Positioning
- Personality
- Voice and Tone
- Brand Story
- Heritage
- Tagline
Brands are becoming human, so who else to help make our point than Doctor Strange. Let’s pretend he is a brand. What are some core elements that define him?
Brand Purpose:
Guiding individuals through complex journeys with foresight, wisdom, and integrity.
Values:
- Wisdom and Knowledge
- Protection and Responsibility
- Strategic Foresight
- Sacrifice for the Greater Good
- Balance Between Innovation and Tradition
Brand Positioning:
Protector of Possibilities
Voice and Tone:
A blend of mysticism and wisdom, offering a calm, thoughtful, and insightful experience that’s intriguing yet reassuring. Invites you into a journey of self-discovery and foresight, balancing the mystery of the unknown with clarity and purposeful guidance.
- Authoritative but Approachable
- Mysterious yet Reassuring
- Intelligent and Insightful
- Disciplined and Precise
- Grounded and Pragmatic
Leading Your Brand Through Change
As John C. Maxwell said, “Change is inevitable. Growth is optional.” In Doctor Strange’s experience, seeing the future reshapes him. He grows from having a false sense of control over outcomes to a state of humility, acceptance, and a deep trust in others — proving our own powers are limited when faced with cosmic forces beyond our command. Leading through change begins with developing your core brand elements and empowering others around you to share in those beliefs. Whether it’s you, your employees, your vendors, or your customers, they all must inherit your brand essence.
It Is Never Too Late to Shape Your Brand Strategy
Consistency. This is not as boring as it sounds. In fact, it’s one of your strongest brand assets. For example, the consistency of your values and purpose should be reflected in your networking and building of relationships, through your tone of voice and visual style across messaging, and the connections formed with your customers. Failing to do so or sending mixed messages— such as abrupt shifts in points of view or changes in your visual style, can cause confusion and damage your credibility. Your values should act like a compass and guide everything you do. They should be actionable both internally and externally. If you get off course, you can get back on track.
Prioritize customer experience. Be transparent through both your and your customer’s journey. Company changes or external influences can erode your brand and cause a loss of customers. A steady hand and extra care in taking your customers along for the ride go a long way. Like pre- and post-sales contact. This not only makes your customers feel important but is key in gathering information to make your business better.
Bill Gates said, “Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning.” And of course, Doctor Strange’s priorities evolve from a focus on protecting the Time Stone to placing faith in his team and prioritizing individuals. A necessary step to fulfill the larger mission and secure the future. Your company can adapt to technical change, or you can research your competitors’ shortfalls in the comments section of their social feeds. This can provide opportunities to increase your own customers’ satisfaction.
Develop a compelling vision. With the right vision in place, you can utilize this strength to provide focus and attention to change, make a case for the change you seek, or even develop a common goal for you and your customers.
We All Make Mistakes, Even Brands
Brands are more like people than you think. If, over time, your brand has consistently prioritized the well-being of your customer, it’s more likely they will forgive you if you have a misstep. There are many factors companies face today —failing to live up to a promise, poor customer service, insensitivity to social issues, failing to address customer concerns, or not adapting to change. It happens, so let’s be as prepared as we can when the time comes. Our heart doesn’t know logic or rules, so the more you build up emotional buy-in from your customers, the less likely you are to lose or upset them. You want to be seen as ‘being human,’ as we are all intrinsically flawed.
The Artificial of Artificial Intelligence
Every day, the ability for AI to do more is shaping our world and how we work. AI is playing a powerful role in our marketing tactics and content we create. It is exciting and pushing us in ways we’ve never seen before.
However, even in marketing, AI content should never go unchecked for authenticity, legality, or truth. It should only be harnessed if it resonates with your core brand elements. Your brand’s essence should feel human, not AI-generated. Carefully choosing where and when to use AI can be a defining factor in your own brand. Harnessing who you are, and your human assets build trust, loyalty, and authenticity with your customer. This too cannot be calculated by AI. It cannot curate emotion, and your brand sentiment and salience over time cannot be influenced or driven by AI.
You are in business for a purpose. To fulfill that purpose, you must increase profitability and protect your investment. It’s even possible to report your brand’s strengths and weaknesses to your stakeholders. There is untapped potential in your branding to out-maneuver your competition. Consumers are four to six times more likely to buy from, trust, champion, and even defend companies with a strong purpose. A well-developed brand strategy will help your brand endure and form deeper connections with your customers over time.
“We’re in the endgame now.” – Doctor Strange