Visionary Branding | How to Build a Brand Vision

The Visionary Chronicles

EPISODE 151

CHRONICLE: April 24th, 2024

Visionary Branding | How to Build a Brand Vision

“THINK DIFFERENT” – Steve Jobs

Think Different, simple, but sophisticated, just like Steve wanted it to be. Not all brand Visions can be as sophisticated, yet having a Vision is critical to your success as a company. Establishing a Vision is one of, if not the most important, things you will do when starting your company. It sets the tone, the culture, the long-term goals, and what you want to accomplish. This is a lot to accomplish, but it must be succinct, and bringing it down to a few simple words will be your most challenging task.

Along with Steve’s Vision, think of other brands, BMW and “The Ultimate Driving Machine.”

Setting a Vision for your brand is crucial in defining its purpose, direction, and long-term goals. A well-crafted Vision statement helps guide your company's decisions, actions, and strategies. Here's an 11-point step-by-step guide on how to set a Vision for your brand:

1. Understand Your Brand's Purpose | Start by clarifying why your brand exists beyond profit-making. What product does it Create, and what problem does it solve? What value does it bring to your customers' LIFE? Your brand's purpose is the foundation upon which your Vision will be built.
2. Define Your Long-Term Goals | Consider where your brand will be in the next 5, 10, or 20 years. What do you hope to achieve? Consider market share, revenue, geographic expansion, or customer base growth metrics.
3. Analyze the Market and Competition | Understand the landscape in which your brand operates. Analyze your competitors' strengths and weaknesses. Identify gaps in the market that your brand can address uniquely.
4. Consider Your Brand's Values | What foundational principles guide your brand's actions? Consider values like innovation, disruption, brand sustainability, integrity, or customer-centricity. Your Vision should align with these core values.
5. Involve Key Team Members | Engage key team members with “out of the box” thinking in the Vision-setting process. Their insights can provide valuable perspectives and ensure alignment.
6. Craft a Clear and Inspiring Vision Statement | A Vision statement should be concise, memorable, and inspiring. It should capture what your brand aims to achieve in the long run. Use language that brings emotion and paints a clear picture of the future.
7. Make It Ambitious and Realistic | Your Vision should be ambitious enough to motivate and excite but also grounded in reality. Striking a balance between aspiration and feasibility is critical.
8. Ensure Alignment with Mission and Strategy | Your Vision should be aligned with your brand's mission (why you exist) and your strategic plan (how you'll get there). These elements work together to provide a clear roadmap.
9. Communicate Internally and Externally | Share your Vision with your team consistently to get buy-in and commitment. When your employees understand and believe in the Vision, they are more likely to work towards it. Communicate the Vision externally to customers, partners, and investors to build a shared understanding.
10. Review and Update Periodically | Your brand's Vision should not be set in stone. Market conditions and business dynamics change over time. Regularly review and adjust your Vision to stay relevant and aligned with the evolving landscape.
11. Lead by Example | embody the values and principles outlined in the Vision as a leader. Your actions and decisions should demonstrate your commitment to achieving the brand's long-term goals.

Remember that a well-crafted Vision is not just a statement on paper; it's a guiding force that influences your brand's culture, strategies, and actions. It should resonate with everyone associated with the brand and inspire them to work together toward a common purpose.

Stay True, Stay Authentic, be Different, and be Great!

Enjoy the Journey!

Bryan Smeltzer, President

LiquidMind Inc.

#TheVisionaryChroniclesPodcast

#TheVisionaryBrandBook

@LiquidMindsite.com

@BryanSmeltzer.com

© All rights reserved, Bryan Smeltzer, 2024

----more----

BRYAN SMELTZER

Bryan Smeltzer is a consumer products business executive and entrepreneur. He has held executive-level roles in business development, Product, and marketing with some of the world's most prestigious brands, including; Oakley, TaylorMade, Adidas, K-Swiss, and Schutt Sports, among other international brands. He also founded a men’s apparel brand, successfully running a profitable business for ten years, eventually selling to a VC firm.

THE VISIONARY CHRONICLES

He also hosts a Podcast called The Visionary Chronicles, ranked as the #1 Visionary and Top 50 Marketing Podcasts by Feedspot, and recently finished his first bestselling book, The Visionary Brand, The Success Formula Behind the World’s Most Visionary Brands, and recently received the prestigious Readers Favorite Award for BEST Non-fiction, Marketing Genre book.

MENTORSHIP | BOARD MEMBERSHIP

He is also a member of the Board of Advisors at UCI’s BCIE along with their New Venture Program, an Innovation Advisor at the UCI’s Applied Innovation program at the Cove, a Mentor/Advisor to UCLA’s Price Center Venture Accelerator Program, and a Mentor/Advisor at the San Diego Sports Innovators Accelerator (SDSI) center.

LIQUIDMIND

Bryan oversees LiquidMind Inc., a global brand strategy firm that partners with start-ups and established mid to large-cap consumer brands to empower businesses to think differently, be different, drive a passionate culture, and execute relentlessly.

You can contact or follow him at;

email | [e-mail]

Facebook | @bryansmeltzer33

Instagram | @bryan_smeltzer

X | @bryansmeltzer

LinkedIn | linkedin.com/in/bryansmeltzer/