The 4 C’s of brand strategy.
It feels like the old ways and new wisdom are colliding.
The old ways tell us that deprivation is a badge of honor. Work harder, longer hours, always striving, on the exercise bike at 4am. And now new science is starting to point us toward better diets and better sleep, to yoga and mediation. Because the old ways just might be killing us.
Stomach cancers are rising in young women. Heart attacks are rising in younger and younger men. By economic measures, life is good. If money is fulfillment, why are we so unhappy?
Sure, some of us might be programmed to be early rising energizer bunnies. But what about the rest of us? Those of us that are chasing an ideal and pushing ourselves so hard, thinking it’s the only way. We desperately want to do a good job so we keep going. It’s what we’re supposed to be doing. Right?
But what happened to life? To cups of coffee sipped outside in the morning.
To gazing in wonder at works of art. To walks with dog just because it’s unseasonably warm today. Less meals inhaled at desks and counters and more meals shared and enjoyed. Maybe even light some candles.
I believe work is essential in life. We’re meant to put time and effort into things that matter to us. It’s a big piece of how we feel meaning in our lives. But that’s not how we’re doing it.
And why does all this matter to Creative Voices, to what we’re doing here?
Because helping small shops and small organizations brand build isn’t just about work, it’s about their life too.
More clarity means less stress. More strategy means more effectiveness. These things can provide a pathway to more balance. You put care and energy into your work. It does good things for yourself and for others.
And it should also be giving you the freedom to do things outside of work that fuel you. Whether that’s art or nature or community building. Watching sunsets or reading novels. Making dinner for friends or riding your bicycle.
So when we go about brand building, we do so with a certain mindset. And understanding of what we’re trying to unlock and cultivate. And those are the 4 C’s of brand strategy.
1.) CALM
There is so much pressure to hustle all the time. To multi-task and maximize our days.
More often than not, our value is measured by our productivity.
The point of implementing strategies and plans is to introduce a level of calm into your work and your days. Less second guessing yourself, less rushing, and less living your life in an endless cycle of rinse-and-repeat.
You can only sprint for so long before you burn out. None of us can do it forever. Calm is the antidote. It’s about sustainability not speed. It’s not about getting there fast but doing the work for a lifetime.
2.) CONFIDENT
There is so much to figure out when you’re a small operation. What to post and where to post. How much should you be spending on marketing? Where should you be spending it? How much time should you spend each week on Instagram and LinkedIn? Does your website need updating or is it good enough?
Confidence is transformative.
It takes you from guessing and hoping to the quiet belief that your actions are leading to meaningful progress. You have the tools you need and you know the steps ahead.
3.) CONTENT
The term passive income is everywhere. It seems like everyone is chasing pajama profits. And trying to 10x their income. It seems like everyone is looking for a shortcut out of the daily stress that fills theirs lives. We all just want to be okay.
But in a world that profits off your discontent, it can be a revolutionary act to define success for yourself.
It’s quietly revolutionary to cultivate contentment. To work and to live your life on your own terms. It takes a certain moral nerve, a self-awareness to turn down the noise and tune in to your own compass instead.
For more about building your own success list, watch This Lesson on YouTube.
4.) CREATIVE
This one is by far the most misunderstood of the four C’s. Somewhere along the way most of us lost our childlike artistic enthusiasm and shrink from the word creative. So many people I work with immediately try to shoo the label away. I’m not an artist, they say.
But you don’t need to be an artist to be creative.
Your likes and interests, how you build your life and your work – these are all creative acts.
True creativity is personal. It’s not settling for imitation when you can be authentic instead. And when you build your brand this way, it’s creative.
As William Ellery Channing said, "Every human is intended to have a character of his own; to be what no others are, and to do what no other can do."
Welcome to brand building the Creative Voices way.
Coming Next Week: The Brand Strategy Scorecard (According to the 4 C’s)