A lasting brand is one rooted in purpose, values, and ethos that seeps into its very being.

1. Innovation

Lean into your versatility and embrace creativity. Your ability to innovate is a creative edge that cannot be replicated, stolen, or broken. Through continuous risk-taking inside and outside of your brand, you garner a reputation for the unexpected. This distinguishes you from a sea of sameness and makes you a go-to figure for forward-thinking consumers. 

Netflix embodies innovation through every aspect of its brand. Their business model was the first of its kind, opening up the world of storytelling and reinventing the way we do movies. This pioneering mindset has carried them above and beyond the competition. Even as new streaming companies emerge, they remain at the pinnacle of pop culture. They continue their legacy of experimentation through interactive media, limited edition series, AI-supported content, and intuitive user customization that excels expectations. 

Alongside out-of-the-box thinking, you’ll need visuals to match. If you’re touting yourself as a visionary brand, you’ll need to ensure that your image aligns with that message. This means avoiding cut-and-paste templates and, instead, opting for a high-touch experience that offers strategic customization. 

2. Purpose

We are moved by missions. Our mind craves the emotional charge we get from gathering for a purpose. From music festivals to peaceful protests to family reunions, we love feeling like we are a part of something. It adds a needed sense of meaning to the mundane. 

So, when you position your brand alongside a specific purpose, you’re giving people a reason to identify with your brand. They’re able to stand beside you confidently, knowing that you embody values, ideals, and beliefs that mirror their own. A sense of pride and belonging is born. 

This is exactly the feeling that brands like Ben & Jerry’s and Patagonia create for their customers. Both brands are recognized for partnering with grassroots organizations and outspokenly advocating for social justice efforts, even in the midst of division. Their commitment is rewarded through loyal patronage and passionate consumers who continue bolstering the mission. 

3. Expert Branding

We touched on this briefly but at the end of the day, the fundamental aspects of your brand need to be executed well. Your brand identity, digital/print collateral, messaging, and social media all need to have a cohesive visual motif. Your audience should look at your website or your storefront and immediately know it’s yours before they see your name. This is created through collaboration with expert brand strategists and designers who can prime you for success from the start. If you’re interested in bringing a branding agency into your journey, we would love to support you. Click here to explore our services and inquire. 

4. High-Quality Content

Be mindful of the content you’re producing. Is it offering value to your audience? Does it reinforce your brand pillars? Does it contain a distinct brand voice? Ask yourself these questions as you’re creating and distributing marketing content. 

Ideally, each piece of content should have a place and a purpose in your overarching brand mission. You never want to post for the sake of posting or create for the sake of consumption. There should always be a concentrated, intentional effort behind what you’re producing. Whether it’s to nurture your existing audience, convert a lead, or educate newcomers, you should have a strategy in place to support your marketing efforts. 

Additionally, go the extra mile to create quality content that matches the caliber of your presence. You want your audience to land on your content and feel something. Or, at the very least, learn something. They should walk away feeling refreshed and inspired through each interaction with your brand. 

5. Excellence

Above all, your reputation is what carries you. Through a commitment to excellence on all fronts, you are ensuring that you maintain a consistent, trustworthy, and refined experience for your clients. This builds the foundation for ongoing relationships to emerge and flourish with time. From there, you become the recommended and go-to provider for your target audience. 

It’s important to distinguish excellence from perfection; one is attainable while the other isn’t. Even our most beloved brands have encountered controversy over their careers. We keep coming back to those brands, though, because of how they’ve navigated the resistance. When things go wrong, they know how to pivot. They course-correct and overdeliver in order to maintain a warm, favorable, and seamless experience for their clients. That’s the level of excellence we should strive towards in our own brands. 

These five principles and characteristics are key to elevating your brand to the level of leadership, status, and reputation you want. We hope these points help you create more clarity and energy as you scale your vision. If you’re interested in more brand-building support, we encourage you to inquire about our Brand Strategy process. Over 3-weeks, we pull back the lens to think big picture, unearth your values, craft your vision, identify your unique selling proposition, and more. Click here to inquire; we would love to start a conversation.