Brent Niemuth, President/CCO
Then you must embrace change.
As many of you know, I’m a HUGE Beatles fan. It’s an obsession, really. A sickness. I admit it. When I first heard “Paperback Writer” at the age of 8, I was hooked. The fact that their music is still as relevant today (to multiple generations) as it was six decades ago speaks volumes. But these four lads from Liverpool didn’t just change music forever. They also changed fashion, cinema, politics, culture, art—our entire worldview. You see, they weren’t just musicians. They were agents of change.
When you look at their relatively short-lived recording career, in just eight brief years (1962-1970) they never stood still. Their music evolved from album to album, their “look” changed every year, and their personalities evolved from innocent boys filled with energy to worldly young men filled with wisdom.
The Beatles weren’t just a band—they were a BRAND. And herein lies the lesson. Your brand needs to continually evolve—to change—to remain relevant and to continue to compete in today’s unbelievably crowded and insane marketplace. Standing still and blindly clinging to what has worked in the past is no longer an option. I realize this is often a challenge for direct marketers who are, by nature, slow to change and tend to want “proven” methods and avoid risk. But avoiding change and waiting for that fool-proof answer is not a growth strategy. Remaining relevant and current and appealing to new and younger customers is.
I’m not talking about earth-shattering, revolutionary change. That’s not for everyone. Nor is it necessary. For most brands, slow and thoughtful evolution is enough. Again, remaining fresh and relevant is the goal, not completely changing who you are as a brand. Some brands that have evolved successfully over the years and somehow maintained their heritage while still keeping things fresh are Filson, Crate & Barrel, Facebook and Starbucks. A few who failed to change and paid the price: RadioShack, Kmart and Sears.
Here are a few questions to ask yourself when you feel it’s time for a change.
- What are we seeking to do? Change the perception of the brand? Attract a younger audience? Expand our business into other catagories? The answers to these questions will help determine a strategy moving forward.
- What visual elements of our brand feel dated or no longer accurately reflect who we are? When was the last time you evolved your logo? Is your website stuck in 2009? Has the design of your catalog remained unchanged for a decade? Remember, 90% of everything we learn as humans is visual. What does your brand LOOK like? People will judge you based on that alone. First impressions matter.
- What do we leave behind? Transitioning customers from the brand they knew to the brand they will get to know requires tough decisions. It’s hard to let go of elements of the brand that once made us who we are. But sometimes the baggage we choose to let go of can make the biggest difference in how we are perceived moving forward.
At J.Schmid, we witness our clients struggling with change every day. We realize it isn’t easy. There are no “proven methods” or guarantees for a successful brand evolution. But there are things that we know work and best-practices that can be followed to increase your chances for success. We’ve seen case study after case study of brave brands who chose to evolve rather than stay stagnant and reaped the benefits.
The Beatles could have easily had a successful career writing and recording songs like “Love Me Do” and “Please Please Me.” The famous mop-top haircuts and matching suits could have lasted a bit longer. But instead, they left them behind and tried new things with no guarantee that people would embrace them. They took a risk and embraced change, knowing that NOT changing was even riskier. Just ask Gerry and the Pacemakers.
If you’re considering evolving your brand and are staring change in the face, give me a shout at 913-236-8988 or at brentn@jschmid.com. With a little help from your friends, we’ll have you navigating this sea of uncertainty, coming out on the other side looking fresh and new and relevant again.
Tags: branding, Brent Niemuth, Strategy
