Brand formula

Some brands strike it lucky with right place, right time.

For the rest of us, there’s a formula like the one below.

It’s not complicated, but it’s not easy either.

Nor should it be.

Chapter 1: The Secret. Nobody knows what you are yet. We all start here. As we ought; it’s the right way for things to start.

You move to the next step by showing up consistently with good stuff.

Chapter 2: The Dismissable. Some have seen you now, but you were dismissed. Maybe not ‘forgettable’, there’s just a lot going on in the world and you haven’t yet earned the mental bandwidth to be considered.

You move to the next step by showing up consistently with good stuff.

Chapter 3: The Nuisance. You’ve shown up in the newsfeed a bunch at this point. You’ve still not earned that mental bandwidth, and yet there you are, again. You’re now pushing through the membrane.

You move to the next step by showing up consistently with good stuff.

Chapter 4: The Familiar. ‘Oh look, it’s those guys, they seem cool.’ At this point you’ve earned your spot on their screens. They still may not be interacting with you or buying from you, but you’re on the other side now.

You move to the next step by showing up consistently with good stuff.

Chapter 5: The Staple. At this point, we’d miss you if you were gone. You’re a regular, a fixture of the space. We expect you’ll be there, we expect to hear your thoughts on what’s going on. We probably have an idea of what you’ll have to say before you even say it.

You move to the next step by showing up consistently with good stuff.

Chapter 6: The Interesting. At this stage, we buy in. At this stage, we engage your community, we buy your products, we value your work as our own. You’re a brand we care about and associate with.

Two things got us here.

Showing up consistently. With good stuff.

What is ‘consistently’? Having a routine and keeping to it. Perhaps it’s something small every day and something bigger each week. Whatever it is, you stick with it.

What is ‘good stuff’? Things that don’t scale well. Things that are more valuable than what others give. Things that are worth talking about and sharing.

Two things.

It’s not complicated, but it’s not easy either.

Nor should it be.