Let’s assume you were really cool in high school.
How cool are you now?
Is the word “cool” even used anymore?
Isn’t it supposed to be “lit” or “hype” or… something?
Don’t you know?
That music you used to like…
Those clothes you used to wear…
Not “cool” anymore.
Any yet, you still feel like the same person you’ve always been… the one who likes cookie dough ice cream, playing the guitar, stand up comedy, and dogs.
You still feel cool … and maybe if we’re being objective about it, you are! But you’re no longer in sync with the culture like you used to be, and therefore, you’re no longer relevant.
The same can be said of a business that was once on fire and is now more like… gazpacho. Still nutritious and delicious, just not quite hot anymore.
”If we're smart, we evolve with the zeitgeist... or at the very least, we realize when we're out of synch with the rest of the world... and recalibrate.
If we’re lucky, we catch the zeitgeist once in our lives. We’re in the right place at the right time and we seize the opportunity.
If we’re smart, we evolve with the zeitgeist… or at the very least, we realize when we’re out of synch with the rest of the world… and recalibrate.
This sort of recalibration is the essence of rebranding.
The fight for relevance is real… particularly in such a rapidly changing world where artificial intelligence is making not only manufacturing jobs, but increasingly white collar jobs–even entire industries–irrelevant.
So how can a business keep up with it all? Is it truly impossible?
How can a brand remain relevant in an ever-changing world?
The answer is to devote resources periodically to assessing the way your business portrays itself and communicates with the outside world.
Make adjustments according to:
- The wants, needs, and drivers of your target audiences
- The positioning and messaging of your competitors
- Thought leaders within your organization
- The content on your owned channels (which may need updating)
- Media stories and trending news / search topics
Branding and communications are not things you can set up once and forget about, even if you consistently offer best-in-class products and services. Rather, they must evolve over time as your business changes and as the world changes around you. Periodic recalibration is the only way to truly remain relevant in this changing world.