OK, so we all know and accept that being brave is hard.

So why don’t we acknowledge that being brave with your brand is even harder?
It’s hard, but incredibly important if you want to make your brand badass! 🤘

The truth is 

You need to be brave with your brand if you want to grow 

Customers are bored with the ordinary. They’re bored with the seeing the same old cookie cutter content. 

If you want to really grow your business, you need to be authentic, bold, and say no to vanilla!

What does being brave with your brand mean?

Being brave means facing danger or difficulty – even when you’re scared. 

But what does being brave with your brand mean?

Well, pretty much the same thing! 🤣
Let’s break it down. 👇

You need to be authentic

You want to have a clear personality while remaining human. It can be scary to truly be yourself, as you’re being vulnerable.  But you should know who your brand is and communicate that clearly in everything you do.
There are a million tech companies out there, why should someone choose you?

By defining your brand, being authentic, and being consistent, you’ll build rapport with people – which will lead to more conversions. Huzzah!

Be strategic

So successful marketing and communications doesn’t come from a spray and pray approach.

It is incredibly important to be strategic when you’re making commercial decisions, and this includes being brave with your brand!
Don’t just decide on a whim to show some extra personality – it could be wrong the wrong personality, and doing it too suddenly could backfire. You need to find a tone of voice and brand identity that not only feels right for your organisation – but that also resonates with your target audience. Think about your customer personas – will they like this? 
Have a workshop to decide how best you can be brave with your brand and make a phased plan of action.
We love a good workshop! All the juicy ideas come out! 💜

Don’t be a dick

This should be everyone’s mantra in life, and in business! Don’t be a dick!

People sometimes think being “authentic” means they can do or say whatever the hell they want, and not worry about the consequences – I’m looking at your Andrew Tate! ☠

Don’t just start running your mouth because you’re being “real.”

Above all – be kind. 

Be intelligent

You need to be smart about your brand. Pick the right things to be brave about. Focus on your customers pain points and how you can help. Use your voice to  deliver useful insights. 

Innovate

We all want to innovate, and you know what? You need to be brave to drive innovation. Remember that sticking with the status quo won’t lead to anything new or exciting.

Social problems 

Think about what’s important to your brand

Are you solving any social problems? You should speak out on these issues.

Perhaps you really care about diversity in tech – speak out about it.

Are you trying to make software and websites more accessibility? Educate your audience about the importance of this. 

Or maybe you’re focused on the environmental impact of technology – use your platform to share the importance of this. 

If there is an issue that is important to you, and that you’re working on – tell people! Shout it from the rooftop and share those stories. 

But be prepared, sometimes you may get a negative reaction to your bravery if your social problem is controversial.

How to be brave

So, you ready to tackle this beast?

Have you decided you want to be brave with your brand. What comes next?

You need to create a culture where ideas from your team are welcomed. There might be the most genius, lightbulb idea just sitting someone outside your marketing department. But they don’t feel like they can speak up.

Get a cliché jar 

No seriously – get a cliche jar. Stay away from overused phrases and dodgy stock photography. I have been known to have an office cliche jar that works like a swear jar. Every time a cliche is used in your marketing put a pound in. Use what is in there to grab some beers at the end of the month – but be prepared to not have many boozy nights out after a couple of months when this method starts to work! 

Move fast

If you want to stay relevant you need to move fast. Adopting an Agile approach to your business will allow you to move quickly and carefully.

You need to practise what you preach

(That’s a pound in the cliche jar)
If you promote a specific type of culture or a specific world view, you need to ensure this is reflected internally as well as externally.  

Your HR policies, CSR initiatives and business practices must reflect this. 

You can’t promote the need for accessibility on the web when you haven’t looked at A11y for your site.

If you are promoting sustainability but still print every invoice and put it in a folder – there is a disconnect there.

Be prepared for negativity

In life – not everyone is going to love you. 

The braver you are, and the more authentic you are, the higher the chances of people not liking you. 

According to a 2018 Earned brand survey, 64% of consumers purchase from or boycott a brand due to its political and social stances. 

But look at this as a positive – the clients who respond well to your authentic self will be more aligned with your world views. And probably much nicer to work with! 

Being brave doesn’t mean having no fear. 

Being brave means you do something despite the fear. 

Need some help being brave with your brand?

Come say hi and we can chat.

Say no to vanilla!