How do you innovate and experiment with new brand ideas and opportunities?

A brand used to have a unique selling proposition. Today little is unique. Too much and too many and fast adaptation of competitive advantage. For that reason trying to set boundaries with vision statements, customer personas might create rigidity. You need to be more fluid. Customer focused and capable of personalisation.

Time after time we’ve found that starting with the people in the business and interviewing as many as possible surfaces the true spirit of an organisation. The insights gained lay a powerful foundation for moving forward into the brand strategy; working through the organisations inherent competitive strengths, core competitive territory, market value, brand purpose, values, ambition and finally essence. The brand strategy paves the way for refreshing a brand visual language but it also provides opportunities to innovate. Using the brand strategy as a feed into innovation design sprints can lead to breakthrough brand innovations. Z Energy (a $5.5bn annual revenue business) did just that and we created Fastlane and Sharetank as a result.

It's crucial to not only identify your brand gaps, but to also deeply understand the root cause behind them. This could involve conducting comprehensive customer interviews, gathering extensive feedback, or even facilitating brand workshops with your team. Once the root cause is identified, it's then easier to brainstorm and implement solutions that are directly targeted at these issues, increasing the chances of successful innovation and experimentation. Also remember to always keep an eye on market trends and emerging technologies as they may open up unprecedented opportunities for your brand.

Stop trying to sell your story and instead play a role in your customers journey. Sure red bull gives you wings but to a truck driver that might be two more hours on the road driving with clarity. To Gen Y is might be packing 28 hours in a 24 hour day.

To innovate and experiment with new brand ideas and opportunities, start by understanding your brand's core values. Then, look for gaps and chances to improve or expand. These could be about your products, services, markets, or customer experiences. Use simple tools like SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) or PEST (political, economic, social, technological) analyses to spot key areas. For example, if users struggle with your app’s checkout process, map their journey and brainstorm easier solutions. Or, if a competitor offers a feature you don't, think about how you can offer something better or unique. This helps keep your brand fresh and relevant.

To innovate and experiment with new brand ideas and opportunities, begin by identifying your brand gaps and opportunities. Conduct a thorough analysis of your current brand positioning, market trends, and customer feedback to uncover areas where your brand may be lacking or where there's potential for growth. Engage with your team and stakeholders to brainstorm solutions and new ideas that address these gaps. By focusing on these specific areas, you can develop targeted strategies that align with your brand’s core values and meet evolving customer needs, fostering innovation and staying ahead in the market.

Analyze Performance: Review your current brand performance and identify areas where you're lacking. Seek Feedback: Ask your audience and clients for their insights and suggestions. Market Research: Study industry trends and competitors to spot opportunities. Brainstorm: Hold creative sessions to generate new ideas and approaches. Test: Implement small-scale experiments to see what works. Identifying gaps and opportunities allows you to continuously improve and stay ahead in your branding efforts.

Ideas that express who you are, what and how you do it, and when you are accessible are meaningless. All of that is within arms reach of desire. Ideas that focus on why you matter. Well they matter.

Absolutely, creativity's key! Brainstorming and mind mapping kick-start that idea engine, and approaches like the Six Thinking Hats ensure no perspective's missed. That's how you sift out the best ideas worth pursuing. Keep that innovative spirit alive!

To innovate with brand ideas, start by spotting what's missing or where there's potential. Then, brainstorm lots of ideas using techniques like mind maps or thinking hats. Think of it like coming up with new features for an app: you brainstorm lots of possibilities (like adding a chat feature or a dark mode), then you evaluate them based on what users might like and what fits your app's style best.

Imagine you're on a brainstorming treasure hunt! This is where you get creative and unleash a flood of ideas to bridge the gaps you identified in your brand. Tools like mind maps or brainstorming sessions help break down barriers and get all the ideas flowing freely. Then, it's time to sift through the gems. Techniques like the "six thinking hats" help you analyze each idea from different perspectives, ensuring it's strong, unique, and aligns with your brand essence. In the end, you'll have a treasure trove of refined brand ideas ready to be developed further.

Brainstorm: Regularly brainstorm new concepts with your team. Research: Stay updated on industry trends and competitor activities. Test: Implement small-scale tests to see what works. Gather Feedback: Collect input from customers and stakeholders. Refine: Adjust and improve ideas based on feedback and results. This cycle helps you continually evolve and strengthen your brand.

Never get too comfortable. For my brand - I do the following: - Utilize analytics to see what's working - I also see what's not working From there - I test new ideas and improve the ones that aren't giving me the results I want. If you are consistent with experiment new content - your purpose - and the value you give back - you'll get where you're trying to get.

In today’s dynamic landscape, where consumer preferences and expectations evolve rapidly, thorough testing becomes crucial. The recent Budweiser situation offers us valuable insights into the importance of testing and validating brand ideas before launching them into the market. Their latest campaign highlights the significance of understanding the pulse of your target audience and stakeholders. Budweiser’s experience reminds us that even the most established brands need to stay connected with their audience and adapt to changing dynamics.

Innovation thrives on validation. My approach involves A/B testing for new brand concepts, similar to Dropbox's early experiments with landing page variations, which skyrocketed sign-ups. This method provides concrete data on customer preferences, minimizing risks associated with new ideas. It's a blend of creativity and analytics, ensuring that innovations align with market demands.

To come up with new brand ideas, you need to brainstorm, research, and look for trends. Once you have ideas, test them with your target customers. Use surveys, interviews, or prototypes to see if people like your ideas. You can also use tools like the lean canvas to organize your thoughts. Remember, innovation takes time and creativity. For example, if you're designing a new app, you might create different versions and ask users which one they like best before launching it.

Before launch, test your ideas with surveys, focus groups, or prototypes. This feedback loop ensures your brand resonates with your target audience, setting you up for long-term success.

Stop telling your story and become part of mine. Focus on the journeys of your customers and then how you can help them get to where they need, want and deserve to go.

Consider these additional strategies Encourage a Risk-Taking Mindset: Celebrate failures as learning opportunities and foster a safe environment where employees feel comfortable taking risks. Embrace Diversity: Diverse perspectives fuel creativity and innovation. Seek out individuals with different backgrounds and experiences to enrich your team. Leverage Technology: Utilize AI-powered tools to generate ideas, analyze data, and identify emerging trends. Partner with External Innovators: Collaborate with startups, research institutions, or industry experts to gain fresh insights and perspectives. Continuous Learning: Invest in employee development and encourage ongoing learning to stay ahead of industry trends and best practices.

Explore new and alternative methods of telling the brand story. For the CPG world, Connected Packaging is a fantastic addition to any box. Simply adding a digital link (QR, FSC, or hidden codes in print) to your packaging can take customers on a journey into the brand's world and drive engagement and loyalty. It can simply be a link to a splash page or brand website...OR...a complete experience through a game, AR, loyalty and rewards programs, and so much more. The package is a powerful marketing tool and a real-life interaction with consumers so why not expand this tool to include a virtual experience?

One thing I believe that is critical to the initial growth of a brand is flow. You want to have people(s) who are aligned with who, what, and why for this brand. Also, you want to bring people along who have forever love for what they do in the efforts to support it. If not, the next company that is hungrier, agile, and can produce what you seek to provide to that audience will do it better than you.

Innovating in brand development means thinking outside the box for me, pushing beyond conventional boundaries. I relish experimenting with fresh, unconventional ideas, whether it's leveraging new technologies or diving into unexpected color and design realms. It's about being bold, taking risks, and always staying open to change and new perspectives. Playing with different mediums and blending traditional and modern approaches creates an exciting playground for keeping brands vibrant and relevant. Ultimately, the goal is to create brands that don't just stand out, but truly connect with the audience. Embracing this dynamic and ever-evolving process is what makes branding so thrilling!