The six key lessons of brand transformation
Image courtesy of Alfred Schrock on Unsplash
Have a look at the picture at the top of this blog. A butterfly is such a striking creature isn’t it? Those beautiful colours and contrasting patterns are both stunning and impressive. However, it is easy to forget that butterflies are not born; rather, they become, through a process of transformation from an egg to caterpillar, then to a chrysalis and finally to an adult. The final incarnation into a butterfly is as much a triumph as it is a metamorphosis.
So, what has the metamorphosis of a butterfly got to do with brand transformation? Well, in so many ways brands are exactly like butterflies to the extent that they go through similar life-cycles in terms of growth, development and expansion. Like butterflies when brands flourish and fulfil their maximum potential they become powerful and eye-catching, able to attract admirers from far and wide.
For this butterfly inspired blog, I have highlighted the six key lessons of brand transformation.
1. Revel in the anonymity of obscurity
Anonymity and obscurity are the foundations upon which brands are built. Every brand starts from somewhere and more often than not, that ‘somewhere’ is nowhere. In the world of branding if you cannot revel in the anonymity afforded by obscurity, then you will not appreciate the responsibility and accountability demanded of visibility. Remember, a brand is established through a series of transformational steps from obscurity and credibility to influence. As such, if you cannot anticipate what happens first then you will be ill-prepared for what happens next. There is a simple value chain that explains this reasoning, which is: obscure beginnings build resilience, resilience strengthens character and strong character builds great brands.
2. Play the long game
Much like the metamorphosis of the butterfly, branding is a long game. Often-times what keeps us in the game is what we are aiming for, not what we are looking at. Building brands can be slow painstaking and deliberate work, with growth more likely to be measured in incremental steps, than giant strides. There is also a wider contextual or situational point, which is the need to more closely connect to one’s aspiration than one’s situation. Circumstance is transient, but a strong and unwavering ambition is permanent. Challenges arise when we take our eye off our long-term goals and define our prospects for success based on what is happening now. Remember, if you expect success, then you will be prepared when it arrives.
3. Keep a stop-watch, not a clock
A stop-watch is a unique device because unlike a clock, which helps you to keep track of the time, it empowers you with the ability to make time stand still (well metaphorically at least). So what? Well consider this, the idea of a stop-watch is emblematic of the need to pause, reflect and learn. Contrary to what people think, learning is not measured by the acquisition of knowledge, nor for that matter is it defined by the level of your understanding. Rather, it is determined when what you know and what you understand, is brought to realisation by what you put in practice. In the world of branding, growth requires learning, because that is what produces maturity. However, it is impossible to learn anything unless dedicated time is given to deconstruct one’s experience. Sometimes we are over-eager to move on to the next thing, before we have finished the first thing.
4. Think like a butterfly
The reality of transformation is that change is often necessary to shake us out of our complacency. At other times, as with the metamorphosis of a butterfly, change happens naturally when we are ready for the next stage of our development. So why is ‘thinking like a butterfly’ relevant to branding? Well, there are times when brand transformation happens organically, is shaped by events and requires little or no conscious thought on our part. Take the video conferencing package Zoom as a case in point; back in 2020 (off the back of the Covid-19 pandemic) the app was downloaded nearly 500 million times, making it into the top five most downloaded apps globally. By contrast, in 2019 (pre-pandemic) just under two million active users were added. Sometimes ‘thinking like a butterfly’ is about recognising how circumstances beyond your control, can do more to transform your brand than you could ever do.
5. Maintain curiosity
Brands attract attention and unsurprisingly the best brands attract the most attention. When you think about it butterflies, like the products and services of any business, are brands in their own right. In their pomp, prime and prestige, they are able to command the attention of admirers, watchers and followers. Similarly, in the world of branding, the thing that enables a business or entity to retain the attention of their audience is the level of sustained fascination and curiosity that they can maintain. Every brand must retain the ability to hold the fascination of its audience, specifically by nourishing the appetite of the audience for more. This is the biggest challenge for any brand because once the fascination ends and the curiosity is satisfied, the want and demand for the brand goes away.
6. Resurrect and repeat
For butterflies, the ultimate act of transformation is not metamorphosis it is actually re-generation. This is when the thing that has achieved its fullest potential and achieved its ultimate goal, gives way to something new. This brings the entire cycle of life right back to the beginning again. In the context of a brand, sustainability is often underpinned by this very capacity to regenerate or renew. Old ideas and concepts give way to new ones. Lifestyle preference, creates opportunities to increase personalisation and convenience, whilst social consciousness makes certain associations undesirable. Brands are dynamic living entities and those best able to surf the curve of change, are the ones that ultimately sow the seeds of their own survival.
So here’s the rub: like butterflies, brands go through phases of transformation. Over time, they morph and mature until they reach their maximum potential. With brand transformation, even if it were possible to get from point A to point Z in the shortest possible time, it would not be desirable. Brands, like butterflies and fine wines, cannot be rushed; there is no fast track to a quick fix. Put more colourfully, caterpillars don’t win beauty contests — butterflies do. But you cannot be a butterfly, until you’ve learnt to be a caterpillar.
