Day 1
It’s my first blog entry since launching NMD Inc, and I couldn’t think of a better way to kick it off than by sharing my insights on what goes into successfully launching a strong brand! While NMD is my first personal business, I’ve been on the inside of many launches and go-to-market initiatives - so I know a thing or two, about a thing or two! Here are my two cents on - or rather, 10 tips for - what works:
1. Start with Authenticity & Integrity
Whether you’re launching a consumer product, financial service, telecommunications company or foundation, you have to be true to the brand you’re developing and yourself. People will have a lot of feedback on what they think your brand is or isn’t but you have to be the custodian of your brand - OWN IT.
Of course, no one is perfect, so you also have to be accountable and humble enough to apologise when you screw up!
2. Be Consistent
Lots of companies will do one great thing and think “We’ve WON, we can rest now!”
You can’t! Being consistent is more important than doing something great - consistent messaging, branding, experiences, service and more. Your business doesn’t stop operating after one execution and neither can you, so you have to keep evaluating what you’re doing and offering to maintain your brand and reputation. Don’t get so caught up in the big things that you forget to maintain the things that are already great about your company.
3. Add Value Internally & Externally
They say your ‘network is your net worth’, but few explain the work that goes into developing and maintaining relationships for business. Your customers, vendors, industry gatekeepers and even staff aren’t bound to you like a family member or long-time friend - you have to create value and keep adding value throughout the lifetime of your relationship. It’s a thing called stakeholder engagement and you have to actively maintain it.
4. Stay Customer Focused and Deliver Exemplary Service
No matter what business you’re in, even a not-for-profit, you have a customer you’re serving and you should want to serve them well. Make your customer's journey as simple, focused, thoughtful and to the point as possible. They’ll thank you for it and keep coming back for it. No one can be perfect, customers will still complain and when they do, use it as an opportunity to make it up to them, recover and improve the way you serve at an exemplary level.
5. Have A Plan. Use Insights.
Your company and brand strategy has to be rooted in consumer insights. What’s the problem? What’s the opportunity? What do customers need? Unearth the answers by watching, observing, asking questions, listening and exploring the endless opportunities.
6. Care About the Little Things
Set standards for yourself and make the choice not to compromise. It may mean saying no to a lot of people and, at times, fighting to maintain those standards. That’s ok. It’s worth it. At the end of the day, the little things matter.
7. Be Open to Learning and Evolving
No matter how much you know or what level of experience you have, there’s always more to learn. Keep searching for what's new, trending or emerging. This is what’s going to keep your business growing.
8. Be Passionate About What You’re Selling
If you don’t believe, no one else will either. Over the lifetime of a business, you’ll find your level of passion may dip or wane. That’s when you need to pause, re-evaluate, strategise and make a decision: can you rejuvenate that passion and carry on? If the answer isn’t yes, then it’s time to pivot.
9. Take risks that make sense
Just like making an expensive personal purchase, you have to weigh the cost versus the value something could add to your business. From engaging a new brand ambassador to entering a new market, you have to take risks - make sure they make sense and you can stand behind them no matter the outcome.
10. And, finally, if you fail... assess the issue, learn from it and move forward
We learn more from our failures than our successes and believe me, there will be failures. You can’t be afraid, because if you are, you can’t take risks, and you HAVE TO take risks to grow!
Don’t let failing make you a failure, let it motivate you and push you to be better.
That’s my advice for brand builders and new businesses. Advice that I now have to apply to my own business! Looking forward to sharing more along this journey.
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