Around this time of year, when the fall chill begins to creep in on the country’s eastern side, people start zeroing in on their strategies for the end of the year and the beginning of the next. What does Q4 have in store, and how are we effectively strategizing for Q1 in the year to come?

At HANDSHOE, we think about brand strength and longevity.

Even as our kids get back to school and we’re running around like crazy people to watch our traveling baseball teams win championships and (in my case) make weddings happen and plan for new babies that are about to be born, we can’t help but see the brand in just about everything. We’re steeped in it. It’s in our essence and our cells, fueled by gallons of pumpkin spice chai.

Last night, I watched the movie Practical Magic in the spirit of the season. Oddly enough, it sparked a brand insight. As Sally (Sandra Bullock) had a conversation with Detective Gary (Aidan Quinn) about her recently-accused witchiness, she said these words:

“Your badge? It’s just a star. Just another symbol. Your talisman. It can’t stop criminals in their tracks. It has power because you believe it does.”

That got me thinking about the brands we create and how they work for our clients. Brands, to be truly successful, require your belief and dedication as a company leader.

Because they represent your company’s spirit and values, they require your consistent dedication and care to keep them infused, alive, and ultimately working for you.

Your brand identity — that beautiful logo you love so much — is just a symbol of who you are. It’s only one small piece of your ultimate brand story. It can’t sway customers to take action and pull out their wallets all by itself. At least not at the very beginning of its life.

Your brand essence? It’s just a statement of value outlined in one of a thousand business documents unless you push it out into the world with care. It has to be clearly and consistently communicated through your image, personality, environment, and experience.

Successful brands simply need more than “the symbol” to be successful.

There are times when clients lose track of this.

We often work with clients for years to develop strong brand foundations. We emerge from the process with a wealth of potential for explosive growth. Everyone is thrilled with the end product and strategy but often forgets the most important part.

Brand strategies need to be actually implemented to be successful. Brands need to be carefully and strategically nurtured in order to grow.

They need your belief in their potential to have a real impact.

We see some companies take their shiny new brand in-house or to another agency and leave the execution to:

  • People who don’t have enough experience to effectively execute a strategy or see white space for it to expand. A brand strategy is a roadmap, but it is also designed to be organic and grow in alignment with your business goals.
  • People who simply don’t have the creative skills to envision how a brand might grow visually in alignment with your foundation. Your marketing intern may have your brand standards document in hand but not have design vision or ability. It often takes professional oversight for internal teams to stay brand-aligned. Young, in-house groups need leaders to guide them.
  • Someone who relies 100% on tools without insight, skills, or experience.

These approaches are all understandable. Trust me… we get it. They save money, and the bottom line is the measure by which 99% of business decisions are and should be made.

That said, these approaches also have the potential to chip away at a brand, any equity it might build, and, ultimately, your investment in the branding process altogether.

Successful brands need to be carefully managed, articulated, and, most of all, protected. They need to be ushered into the world consistently, aligned with your vision, strategy, and goals.

  • It can’t just sit still (i.e., only look pretty with zero proactive, brand-aligned marketing), or it will have no velocity.
  • It can’t be handed off to someone who isn’t familiar with its foundation, future, and purpose, or it will degrade. Who you are will not effectively translate to your potential customers.
  • It can’t be trusted 100% to a mechanized or computer-driven tool (hello… AI) without human oversight and emotion, or it will lose its soul.

Investing in a brand strategy and creating a strong brand for your company is smart business. But careful implementation of the brand strategy and meticulous management of how the brand is perceived are what make your brand truly valuable as a business asset.

Believe in your brand.

If moving brand management and marketing in-house is a necessity (again, we get it), take the time to hire the right team members with the right experience to manage it rather than just filling a task-list-driven position. We can even help you choose the right team with great pleasure.

You’re entrusting anyone who manages your brand with not only the overall perception of your company, but your very own blood, sweat, tears, and belief in its success.

Which, after all, is the real magic now, isn’t it?