Where Will Your Brand Be in 100 Years?

Giving your brand longevity

Many entrepreneurs invest huge amounts of time, talent and treasure building their businesses, focusing on their products, services and financials - as they should - yet neglect to sustainably build a brand that can outlive and outlast them and stand the test of time. Are you in that boat?

Communication is at the heart of everything we do on planet earth - body language, spoken, written, visual, cultural, digital - you name it. It’s all about communication - and a brand that’s built to last must address all aspects of communication. This means the brand must go beyond logo design and must be built to adapt to changing times as well as culturally connect with people from across the globe. Is your brand ready for global expansion?

So what message is your brand communicating? Is your brand currently long lasting? Can your brand adapt to changing circumstances? Is your brand flexible enough to incorporate future products and services? Are you building a resilient brand that can stand the test of time? Are you building a legacy or are you building MySpace, which went the way of the dodo?

How can a brand really stand the test of time especially in our digital day and age? Well it starts with an idea. Sometimes even a small idea can take on a life of its own to become a long lasting idea.

Secondly and importantly...

one must commit said idea to paper, parchment or stone - personally I prefer using my mac. But you get the drift. If it’s only in your mind, it’s virtually nowhere at all.

Ideas must be written down for them to take on a life of their own. When written with clarity, ideas can be interpreted over time - like unearthing an ancient artefact. This is key to giving longevity to your brand.

[caption id="attachment_2069" align="alignright" width="400"] Branding and brand manual design, TBG Media London[/caption]

We’ll call it the process of giving birth to a brand - which can be mentally painful for many entrepreneurs who may not possess the skills to design or convey their thoughts professionally or effectively. How your brand is perceived will depend on how well your message is crafted for your particular target audience - having taken into consideration - body language, spoken, written, visual, cultural and digital communications, among others.

Thirdly, branding requires strategy. Brands need to have a particular purpose that resonates with a particular group of people - not everyone is your customer, after all.

Will your brand stand the test of time? Does your brand have a message, a mission and a vision that can outlive and outlast you? Are you building a legacy? Can you take your brand global? Will it be embraced internationally by different cultures? Will your vision be understood and carried out in a decade, fifty years or a century later like the Nobel brand? This can only be achieved if there is a story to tell. What’s your story?

Here are 12 questions to start with:

1. What does your business do?
2. What made you start the business?
3. What problems does your business solve?
4. Who are you solving this problem for? Target Market
5. What’s unique about the way you solve this problem?
6. What will bring your customers back for more?
7. What do you want people to feel when they think about your business?
8. What five adjectives would you like people to use to describe your business?
9. What is your big vision for your brand in 100 years?
10. What are your short, medium and long term missions?
11. Where will you be as founder in another 10 - 30 years? Exit?
12. How will you ensure your brand becomes your legacy?

Will your brand stand the test of time?

Can your brand outlive and outlast you? Will your vision be understood in a decade, fifty years or in a century? Here are a few brands that have done just that:

• GE - Since 1878
• Coca-Cola - Since 1892
• JC Penny - Since 1902
• Marmite - Since 1902
• Holland and Holland - Since 1806

[caption id="attachment_2114" align="alignright" width="300"] Global Strategic [Corporate and Political] Communications and International Trade Adviser, Wilford L. Augustus[/caption]

If you would like help crafting your story ‘on a mac’ and developing your brand professionally, accompanied by a detailed style guide and brand manual, to ensure everyone on your current and future teams fulfil your brand purpose, then get in touch today.

I'm happy to work closely with you to help build your brand sustainably, professionalise your marketing communications and help your business embrace digital communications affordably.

Wilford L. Augustus [email protected]

• Site: www.tbgroup.london
• Site: www.tbgmedia.co.uk
• Site: www.tbg.global