paul macfarlane
BUSINESS STRATEGY + BRANDING
GLOBAL FORTUNE 5OO EXPERIENCE
TO BRING THE BEST OF HUMANITY FORWARD
SIMPLICITY.
FOCUS.
DEPTH.
These three qualities are found in nearly every mega-successful brand and indeed, in most billion-dollar brands.
However, any business, any brand of any size, anywhere, can embrace them.
Simplicity.
It means digestibility. It means this: Can the world quickly understand what you’re about – what you do, what problem you solve and what’s in it for them?
Too many businesses complicate everything and too many agencies cave in to the demands to say it all, when they should know better.
SIMPLICITY,
FOCUS AND DEPTH
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Now.
Focus.
As an example of a well-known billion-dollar brand – easily my favorite, Nike – allow me to explain.
Nike’s ethos, from almost Day One, which has been tangibly alive in every ad they have ever done, (even the “Just Do It” campaign etc.) are these five words : “There is no finish line.”
The following ad is originally from 1977.
No matter how they began as a running shoe company and went on to develop and sell all kinds of shoes, fashion and sporting gear, that five-word ethos is clearly alive and well in their focused dedication to the athlete in us all.
Depth.
Let’s begin with my credo: Innovate The Mundane.
One of the marks of billion-dollar success and essence is when every pixel, from the front to the back of your brand is branded, innovative and special.
If your site is loaded with typical Google fonts set as is, your visitors subconsciously know and feel they’re on a web site. If you use your branded fonts for everything (no matter what your web team complaints may be) your visitor might instead feel they have entered your world.
Next, consider taking the most mundane aspect of your business and make it shine, entertain, shock and captivate. Put something in your brand for just one person, that almost nobody else will notice. Something obscure, dorky, fun, secret, amazing. You’ll probably end up reaching a few hundred people instead. And creating a few hundred new, rabid fans.
Use my handy Diamond thought model to help you distill your business or brand essence.
Branding Into Billions.™
Yep, in fifty years, there may be thousands.
But right now, look like one, act like one, sound like one and go for it. Whoever you are.
And if you’re a multi-million-dollar brand, there’s still time for you, too.
Maybe I can help.
No, I can definitely help.
Just be careful you’re not building a bed of nails.
Instead, be one nail.