Insight, simplicity and brand sanity

Marketing: Image Experiential

In a world where more information is available faster than ever, insight shortage isn’t the problem; it’s knowing what to do with those insights.

The answer lies in simplicity.

“Before you leave the house, look in the mirror and take one thing off,” as Coco Chanel might say.

And what does the aforementioned fashion legend have in common with, say, a Prussian military theorist? (Aside from a snappy dress sense!) They both understood the importance of simplicity.

“Simplicity in planning fosters energy in execution,” said the Prussian Carl von Clausewitz.

“Simplicity is the keynote of all true elegance,” said the designer Coco Chanel.

And they’re right. Good strategy is as much about what you are not doing.

Embracing clarity

Draining the pool of insights hones sharper, more effective tactics. Brand relies upon the memory of a largely disinterested (and likely overstimulated) customer. Clarity is crucial to being noticed, remembered and, if we’re lucky, purchased from.

Start with the diagnosis. You need a map to begin your journey, where ‘X’ marks the insight – whether it’s something you like hearing about your brand or something you don’t. Diagnosis is the key to clarity. Consider your brand, but from the perspective of the customer not the director.

Diagnosis allows for a sharper, more effective strategy: a collection of clearly defined, measurable and time-bound objectives that bring the overwhelming world of insights into an actionable vision. They can be long or short-term, and focused on a specific product/service or the wider brand. Regardless, they must be a tight set of up to five strategic objectives that determine who you’re going after, what you want them to do and the intended impact on your business.

Now, to tactics. Tactics take objectives into action. It’s how we move the needle. From pricing and product to place and promotion, there can be agility, but there’s often an obsession with change for change’s sake. Revamps sound exciting and are often fuelled by an overzealous focus on – you guessed it – the latest insight. But tactics guided by strategic clarity and delivered with consistency are a far stronger bet.

Today, we have more information than ever. Tomorrow, we’ll have even more. Accessing it all has also never been easier. That’s why we must go back to basics, and it’s easier with experts on your side who understand how a brand should work for a business.

Brand consultancy is central to our work at Image Experiential. We wrangle insight overload into a comprehensive service that spans consultancy, creativity and capability. It comes down to understanding a brand and using those insights to shape strategy into a clear plan.

We call that ‘Brand Sanity’: efficient, actually insightful, helping your business grow. Simple.