Big Picture Studio

Zoom out. Think bigger.
www.BigPictureBrand.ing

Don't panic. Pass. The. Ball.

We've been doing the kid soccer thing for a few years now.

Our son's team is getting better, learning to play as a team.

But way too often, they miss the fundamentals of PASSING.

Instead, when the opposing team rushes in and there's a mass of little cleats and shin guards fighting for the ball, their instinct is to panic, haul off, and kick it WAY down the field.

Just get it OUT OF HERE.

That's what it feels like when companies blindly throw money at problems.

"We're not getting any sales!"
"Nobody's coming to our website!"
"Quick! Do another social media campaign! Boost! Boost!"

Don't panic.

The game is about CONTROL.

And sometimes, your best move is to simply pass the ball to a close-by player who's freed up and can pick up the slack when you're overwhelmed.

This can look like a lot of things – financial input, business strategy, leadership development, or an aligned brand identity that flows down into nearly every area of your organization.

There are experts out there who are freed up and would love to provide the assist. These are wise investments demonstrating control of the game.

Pass. The. Ball.
It's the best way to score.

This is what scares people away, isn't it?

As often as I can, I try to imagine my job as a brand strategist from your side.

What happens in the mind of a business owner when the thought of a "rebrand" wafts across their brain, even for a second.

I wonder if they think, "This could be good for us..."
..and then ...

Then the Jaguar rebrand hits the wires, and they envision getting wrapped up with a bunch of hotshots who want to completely flip their company on its head and talk them into an unnecessary direction they would never select (one that might actually wind up damaging their reputation more than helping it.)

Or, THEN the news of Walmart's "rebrand" pops up. The one that dials the color one-half notch bluer and the font and brand mark one tick bolder – with a bunch of esoteric rationale – and they call it a day.

And I wonder if that business owner quickly retreats into the safety of their current brand, thinking "Maybe it's not so bad here, after all."

Seeing it from your side – it literally has to be the worst.

Trying to make decisions about your brand, but to find the right partner who's going to go off the deep end, or sell you a bill of goods.

One that's going to approach your project with balance, reason, intelligence and thoughtfulness (and WITHOUT an agenda of their own).

Don't get me wrong.

Branding is risky. Brand strategy is about being bold and carving out a strong, unique position for yourself to be anchored solidly in the market, to become the ONLY choice for your customers.

Sometimes that involves pushing a few boundaries.

But aligning with a partner who gets THAT . . . AND gets YOU.
That's an unenviable task.

If we can be a sounding board, provide guidance, OR even prove trustworthy enough to work with your next brand alignment project, we'd love to chat.

https://www.bigpicturebrand.ing/the-worst

Genuinely curious: When I say "Brand," what do you think of? What does it mean?