Brand Legacy > Old Marketing Strategies

You’re scrolling on your favorite (or maybe least favorite) social media platform and there you see it…

A post that mentions Web3.0 and the decentralization of EVERYTHING.

You scroll some more and see another post that mentions the “Creator Economy” and how it’s quickly turning into one of the leading markets in the online space, with estimated market size of about $104.2 billion. (Influencers Club, June 2022)

Next thing you know, a “marketing expert” is making a bold claim that they can help you “MAKE YOUR BUSINESS RECESSION-PROOF” with their marketing strategies!

And there it is, old, manipulative, and fear-based marketing that makes brands and businesses stop their scroll and think to themselves:

“I need to do something FAST for my marketing.”

This then leads to adopting marketing strategies that are unsustainable, don’t look at a business holistically, and isolate activities from each other. Not to mention, most of the time, these marketing strategies start looking at people like numbers and avatars, without taking the time to dig into and understand the values and message of a brand (and that of their clients and community).?

So the question is…

Even if you haven’t been doing much for “marketing” in your brand or business - how can you begin to turn your business into a BRAND, leaving a legacy - without marketing manipulation?

First, what’s brand legacy?

To be honest, I did NOT like the word legacy. I used to be really “turned off “ by the word legacy and when I started seeing it pop up everywhere in the online space by coaches, consultants, and marketing “leaders,” I thought it was the same “tired” trope of ‘marketing legacy’ with phrases like:?

• Leave your legacy
• Create a legacy
• Build your legacy
• Leave your mark (a way to say legacy without the word - lol)

And I kept thinking to myself...?

"Y'ALL, this is some immense pressure to be spewing for folx who already feel like there's a whole lot of things they have to carry in the world."?

A lot of the "legacy" conversations I heard revolved around making the most impact, sharing your message to the masses, and of course, moving in alignment with what you want. I personally felt a lot of pressure to think about my legacy and felt it was extremely ego-centric (clearly I had things to work through).?

Then, one day a few months ago, I watched a random Vanity Fair video on YouTube that featured Zendaya and Andrew Garfield (you can watch it here if you want - it's 30min long).

In it, Zendaya and Andrew Garfield talk about what it's like to get into character - especially the ones that are more dramatic, intense, etc. They go back and forth about carrying this character with them for long periods of time and how acting is paying homage to this person's stories, experiences, culture, and history.

And BAM with that exchange between the two of them, I understood why the word "legacy" was rubbing me the wrong way and how I wanted to approach legacy (and brand legacy) moving forward.

What I feel is missing from the conversation around “Brand Legacy” is:

• Legacy is often looked at from a "present" moment thing (what YOU are doing to create your legacy) --> Instead I think we need to look back at our culture, stories, experiences, and identities (and that of our ancestors)
• In the "online space", legacy is synonymous with "making an impact" (some people use it to talk about making lots of money, speaking opportunities, and living your dream life) --> Instead, I think legacy is more like storytelling - sharing stories of the past, present, and painting visions of the future

So when I think about brand legacy - I think about the cultures we hold, our values, identities, stories, and experiences from OUR past, the ancestral wisdom we carry from our lineages, and the vision we have of the future.

Brand legacy is a culmination of ALL those things - past, present, future - and it's not just about what "you" or "we" are doing... it's about sharing that to create something far more beautiful and transformative than whatever past we come from.

Start with a Revolutionary Marketing Strategy

Building “brand legacy” requires us to do things differently - which could be a revolutionary marketing strategy.

Marketing isn’t the same as it was anymore.

Thanks to the Internet, the rise of social media, short-form video, and even the pandemic that forced everyone to move their life online - marketing has evolved quickly over the past 5 years.

What used to work in marketing, like…

• Relying on purely word-of-mouth referrals
• Setting up a Google My Business page
• Boosting posts on social media
• And running a simple ads strategy

Has completely morphed into a whole other game that is being controlled by consumers, clients, and community members.

DISCLAIMER: I’m not saying doing these things don’t work, they most definitely do, but if you’re looking to reach a larger audience that is outside of your local network - these strategies need other complementary factors.

The PEOPLE are taking marketing into their own hands and flipping the script on how they want to be marketed to.

Side note: I often think about how we can be anti-capitalist marketers in a world that are run by capitalism, but that might have to be saved for another LinkedIn article…?

“Millennials and Gen Zs are taking action to drive the change they want to see in the world. They are becoming more politically involved, making a conscious effort to ensure they spend their money with companies that reflect their values and pushing for change on societal issues.” (Forbes, July 2021)

So how does a brand (or business) show up and make social impact within their respective industries and fields?

4 words, 2 concepts:

• Brand message
• Revolutionary marketing

Well, even before all of that, it’s knowing what your core values are, the principles of your business, and what is the culture you’re trying to create (basically, #FutureOfWork stuff tied in with DEI, plus leadership).

And when you know that, then it comes down to distilling all of those into a communication and marketing strategy - a brand message that clearly shares WHAT you do, how you do it, and why you’re doing it…

Paired with a revolutionary marketing strategy that approaches marketing from an anti-capitalist and intersectional feminist lens, what we call culturally competent and liberatory marketing.

I think it starts with the people, understanding their stories, identities, and cultures – then creating a marketing strategy that speaks to them, creates a shared language, and focuses on belonging (again, all of this won’t work if your brand is also not walking the walk and only talking the talk).

Work backward with your marketing goals

Looking to turn your business into a BRAND?

One that gives back to the community - YOUR community…

One that shifts cultures and shares a different perspective…

One that’s working towards dismantling systems of oppression through your business practices and your marketing message…

Work backward with your marketing goals.

Instead of solely goal-setting on your profits and sales, take into consideration other factors like:

• Community engagement
• Scholarships or grants for the community
• Giveback initiatives (ie: boot camps or accelerators for underrepresented communities)
• Fiscal donations
• Volunteer opportunities

And once you’ve set those additional goals, work backward!

Start with the tangible (or maybe intangible) changes you’d like to see through your business (what I like to call the vision statement) - then break it down into:

• How you do this (your services, programs, products, and offers)
• Who this is for (your community, audience, and clients - and their identities, cultures, and stories - this requires some market research!)
• And then the marketing strategy (will you be creating content, what type of content, sharing on which platforms, or something else?)

A little reminder that there is a bird’s-eye view of your marketing strategy and the more tactical things which look like day-to-day operations! Setting the revolutionary marketing strategy FIRST will help to make the tactical marketing game plan much easier.

So, what’s your revolutionary marketing strategy?

Let me know in the comments below or send me a DM to chat about it!

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>> Want to learn how to revolutionize your marketing strategy for brand legacy? I’m hosting a FREE masterclass on Thursday, August 25th, 2022 for marketers, copywriters, and business owners who want to use their business and marketing to create systemic change!

Register for the masterclass here!

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