Eight principles to follow to create bold, meaningful branding:
- Lead with vision, not consensus – True leadership and impactful branding often require bold choices that go beyond pleasing the majority. Great brands arise from a singular, visionary idea, not watered-down compromises.
- Always connect to the bigger something – Ensure your brand ties into a larger purpose or meaningful narrative. This connection elevates the brand from simply a product or service to something greater—something that resonates on a deeper, emotional level.
- Find the tension. Exploit it. – Identify and embrace the natural tension in your brand's story, market, or culture. Whether it’s between tradition and innovation or luxury and accessibility, tension creates energy that can fuel engagement and brand differentiation.
- Own one idea completely, inside and out – Stand for something clearly defined. A brand that owns a singular concept thoroughly is stronger and easier for people to understand and relate to, becoming more memorable.
- Complexity is a crutch – Simplify without losing depth. Complexity can mask confusion or lack of clarity. The strongest brands distill their identity to its core, making it easy for the audience to grasp and engage with.
- Being different is good, but not if just for the sake of it – Don’t strive to be different just to stand out. Different only works when it’s authentic and rooted in your brand’s values. True differentiation adds value and meaning.
- Just because you can rationalize it doesn’t mean it’s right – Rationality doesn’t always guide great creative work. Sometimes the best branding decisions don’t follow logic, but they feel right on an instinctual, emotional level.
- Is it nervy enough? If it feels safe, you’re doing it wrong – Great branding pushes boundaries. If it doesn’t feel a little uncomfortable or risky, it might not be impactful enough to make a difference.
Tension in branding becomes the pulse that keeps your message alive, engaging, and memorable. When you make tension part of the story, you create an authentic narrative that pulls people in, aligning them with your brand's vision.
