10 things in 10 years
What this strategist has learnt about driving growth
This year is FutureKing’s 10th birthday. It also marks 10 years that I’ve been working at FK.
Over those 10 years, we’ve worked with a variety of different organisations at very different stages of their journey. Some were just starting out with little more than a brilliant idea. Others were proven businesses preparing for their next phase of growth. Some were established organisations looking to modernise. Others were entering new markets, launching new products or trying to stand out in increasingly competitive categories.
Those clients have been in just about every sector you can imagine. Technology, financial services, visitor attractions, health, charities, FMCG, software…
So, after a decade of building brand strategies, identities, campaigns and digital experiences, have I learnt anything at all?
And, more importantly, if so then what was it?
1. Growth starts with clarity
The most value we’ve added in every project is clarity.
When you’re working in any organisation it’s easy to lose perspective. For me, the big lesson is that the most successful organisations aren’t always the ones with the biggest ambitions or budgets. They’re the ones with the clearest understanding of themselves.
Who are we? What makes us different? Why should customers choose us? Those questions are where we start our strategy work. And, though they sound simple, answering them well is hard.
Brand strategy finds those answers.
2. Your customers don’t see your business the way you do
Organisations naturally focus on what they make or what they do and how they operate.
Customers see things differently. Invariably, they have a problem that needs solving and they have a series of choices to make to get it done.
Steering businesses into this way of thinking (outside – in) means taking the complexity inside an organisation and turning it into something simple, relevant and meaningful outside of the organisation.
3. Distinctiveness matters more than being better
Many organisations compete by trying to prove they are better: better service, better technology, better features, better pricing.
But being better is difficult to communicate when everyone is saying the same thing.
An interesting element of our competitor audits is often not what makes competitor X or Y distinctive, but what the common messages are across the category. Understanding hygiene messaging is critical to knowing where those distinctive and differentiating opportunities might be.
4. Brand is a business tool, not just a marketing tool
We say this a lot. A strong brand doesn’t just influence communications. It means decision-making becomes easier. Anyone working for (or with) that brand can act with confidence because the brand is there to steer what they need to do.
5. Expertise only creates value when people understand it
We’ve met a lot of organisations with the most incredible stories, technology, insights and processes. Years of experience. A ton of innovation.
The challenge is rarely about finding something to say, usually it’s finding a way to say it meaningfully. Great brand strategy helps turn expertise into something customers can instantly recognise and easily see the value of.
6. Growth creates complexity. Brand creates focus.
As organisations grow things naturally become more complicated.
More products. More employees. More partners. More audiences. More opportunities.
A strong, clear brand becomes a brilliant filter here.
7. The best brands evolve, they don’t reinvent themselves
Successful organisations rarely stand still. And the temptation for marketers is to always be changing things. “Brand fatigue” in marketing teams is something I’ve seen it a lot. And in every case I can guarantee the customer wasn’t bored, they hadn’t seen the same thing multiple times, and changing from blue to red wasn’t the answer.
Growth doesn’t necessarily mean starting again.
The strongest brands are built by understanding what the value is in their toolkit and then leaning into it.
8. Customer experience is where brand becomes real
A brand only matters if customers experience it in the right way.
From websites and campaigns to products and services, how you bring the brand to life is critical. It’s why we place such emphasis on the two stages of our process: ‘Create’ gives you everything you need, ‘Activate’ shows you how to use it in the real world. Understanding where the brand needs to live in the everyday lives of your customers is key.
9. Consistency creates momentum
Consistency is sometimes mistaken for repetition. It’s why I find myself talking more and more about ‘coherence’ these days rather than consistency.
Strong brands are recognisable because they build on easily recognisable foundations. A clear brand platform allows organisations a degree of flexibility to always be relevant in the moment, whilst always being recognisable and true to the brand idea.
10. Brand is not the answer
Brand is just the way to get there.
After 10 years, this is probably the biggest lesson we’ve learnt. And the thing we bang on about most. Brand is a tool that helps organisations grow. It creates clarity, builds trust, makes good decisions easier and helps customers choose. Putting the brand in place is one thing, but using it effectively across an organisation and its communications delivers multiplier effects.
