What do you do if your brand strategies are being dismissed in the industry?

It stings to get your ideas shot down, but don't give up! First, see if there's a way to refine your strategy based on the feedback. If not, maybe you just need to find the right audience for your brilliant ideas. There are people out there who will get it!

Simple: go back to the basics of understanding everything about your target audience. Start with the macro buckets by building out some general personas based on trends but NEVER stop there. Generalizing your audience into a few personas is probably the issue you’re facing anyway! Challenge yourself to see just how granular can you get with identifying all types of customers you’re wanting to achieve. Develop scenarios for each macro bucket like: Single individual, no kids, lives in X region of the country, 15+ years in career, works in Y industry, hasn’t moved jobs in over 10 years Then customize all messaging for that individual. Then do it again for another. Bad brand is usually a result of not knowing the customer well.

First thing to note: most people don't know what they're doing, and what used to be the right way to do things, may not be so right now, for which you may be on to something new. It takes a lot of courage to put out work that you a) fundamentally believe in and b) that challenge established industry norms. If you're openly being dismissed, this gives you room for further clarification, feedback and refinement. Discussion within key stakeholders if often critical for good strategic work, so seek it out. If you're not being openly or obviously dismissed, go the extra mile to seek out the opinions of those you respect in the field, and take on-board what's necessary to make your approach better.

Pause before responding defensively to critique. Assess whether the feedback stems from factual insights, personal biases, or a mix. Analyze its specificity and relevance to identify where your brand strategies may need refining, turning challenges into opportunities for growth.

If your brand strategies are being dismissed, first assess the feedback critically to identify any valid concerns or areas for improvement. Engage with critics to understand their perspectives and refine your approach based on constructive criticism. Use data and case studies to support the effectiveness of your strategies, demonstrating their value and impact. Continue to innovate and adapt, showing resilience and a commitment to excellence. Networking and building alliances can also help amplify your voice and ensure your strategies are given fair consideration.

Focus on clearly conveying how your brand strategies benefit clients, addressing their goals and distinguishing them from competitors. Simplify your message using real examples and stories, avoiding technical jargon, to effectively demonstrate the value and impact of your approach.

The reason behind people not fully grasping the effectiveness of strategies lies in the lack of simplicity and lack of alignment with clients' own perspective. We as strategists don't simplify our strategies enough and we don't tackle strategy from a collaborative approach. What we should do instead is to focus on building effective strategies (not gimmicky long documents). Effective strategies are straightforward and engaging, they can be described in one sentence and aligned with the people behind the brand in moments.

Believing with your whole heart is key. At times you are the brand that is creating a new category. Stand strong if you believe in it and educate others about the pros and cons. You'll get there!