100% genuine and true brands will exclude someone
Look at the brands incorporated within the image of this article—do you know any of them? One of them? Does this mean they are not successful?
Rui Lapa
7/16/20242 min read
Absolutely not. Personally, I don't know many of them, but I do know that a focused brand, if done correctly, still does not appeal to everyone.
Brands
Apple, Starbucks, Coca-Cola, Nike, CAT, Dyson, Google, Disney, and Tesla—none of these brands are for everyone.
What about Unicef, Save the Children, Catholic Relief Services, World Vision, Doctors Without Borders, Friends of Animals, and Animal Welfare Institute? I know some will vehemently vocalise that everyone should support these brands or causes, and yet, we get a choice.
So, what does this mean for your business? You can't have a stable company culture if you aren't clear, precise, and brutally firm (through actions) about your mission, vision, and values; this will affect your core brand identity. A lack of clarity means choosing to meander through the business world without direction. Current circumstances, political environment or narrative, latest social network, or the hottest trend will be happy to tell you where to go, what to think, what to do, and who to support.
Attract who? Repel who?
You get to choose one way or another.
You and I target brands as much as the organisation targets specific audiences.
Competitive advantage equates to having a differentiating position. Sustaining this competitive advantage over time equates to having a strong brand that attracts (includes) and repels (excludes).
Absolutely not. Personally, I don't know many of them, but I do know that a focused brand, if done correctly, still does not appeal to everyone.
Brands
Apple, Starbucks, Coca-Cola, Nike, CAT, Dyson, Google, Disney, and Tesla—none of these brands are for everyone.
What about Unicef, Save the Children, Catholic Relief Services, World Vision, Doctors Without Borders, Friends of Animals, and Animal Welfare Institute? I know some will vehemently vocalise that everyone should support these brands or causes, and yet, we get a choice.
So, what does this mean for your business? You can't have a stable company culture if you aren't clear, precise, and brutally firm (through actions) about your mission, vision, and values; this will affect your core brand identity. A lack of clarity means choosing to meander through the business world without direction. Current circumstances, political environment or narrative, latest social network, or the hottest trend will be happy to tell you where to go, what to think, what to do, and who to support.
Attract who? Repel who?
You get to choose one way or another.
You and I target brands as much as the organisation targets specific audiences.
