Karani Nyamu who has been the Chief Executive Officer of one of the largest IT companies, Verve KO, for many years only knows too well about building brands that last, win and spread its wings beyond borders.
According to Karani Nyamu, build a great brand, one that inspires, influences and compels; one that gets customers to stay loyal, is a tasking job. But when it happens and it has been happening and is happening on a daily basis, then you know that you have successfully built a brand that will not only last but will keep on winning.
Karani Nyamu quotes Scotts Davis on some of the steps that will not only ensure a lasting brand but one that relentlessly stays relevant:
Customer obsession
All brands say they are customer focused. But this doesn’t mean simply conducting research. It means tirelessly working to creatively uncover breakthrough insights that give rise to new ideas about how, where and when to engage with customers. It means understanding their pain points and using a combination of strategy and imagination to solve them.
Distinctive inspiration
Our job as marketers is to build brands that are inspired in their promise and aggressively positioned in their ambition. A brand has to induce customers to act and inspire employees to help deliver the promise and essence every single day. And that takes the energy and talent of the entire team. If you want to see inspiration practiced day in and day out, look no further than VERVE K.O.
Pervasive innovation
This is a discipline that extends far beyond the marketing or R&D teams. Whether it is with new offerings, channels or experiences, brands that constantly create opportunities for authentic engagement stand far apart from their competition. Without a pervasive innovation mindset across a brand’s touchpoints, a brand de-positioning could be right around the corner.
Ruthless pragmatism
This requires a clear understanding of the brand’s role in driving growth. Brands have to be accountable for driving the growth agenda. Without a clear path to helping a company fill both its organic and innovative growth gaps, brands will get relegated to being drivers of communications. That can’t happen if you are in the business of building relentlessly relevant brands. Brands have serious work to do, and working the growth agenda has to be front and center.
When approached simultaneously, these three values will lead to a positioning that is relentlessly relevant and consistently compelling. It will inspire your employees, delight your customers and drive your bottom line.
That is what a perfectly positioned brand is all about. Karani Nyamu believes that every brand that has been around for decades and will be around for decades to come has taken sacrifice, hardwork and making sure that the brand keeps on evolving in order to keep up with the times and the ever changing trends.
