In my book, The Reluctant Entrepreneur, Chapter Four is about taking the long view in running a business. That helps in the middle of the economic slog we’re all going through—knowing that cycles always change (it will get better, honest) and reminding us to invest in actions that may be long-term winners but short-term losers. This long-view applies to branding, as well. Continuing to invest in your brand differential during a downturn will pay off, maybe not today, but once the recession is over. To quote from the book:

“It means understanding why customers buy from you, and increasing that unique differential by how you train, what new products and services you offer, how you market yourself, and how you deliver service. For example, people hire our firm for our thought leadership in brand development—so we have to continue to deliver thought leadership, through our blog, books, and in keeping abreast of trends in branding.”

We’re using this slower time to do just that: building our online brand experience division, integrating change management further into our service and skill mix, writing a book on internal branding. What are you doing to increase your brand’s differential?

-Lynn Parker

Share on Facebook

Tweet This Post