Your team is resistant to brand strategy changes. How can you get them on board and aligned?

Firstly brand strategy changes cannot happen without the core team being involved in the process. This way the team can share their concerns and a founder or a strategist can listen and understand them while making changes in your brand strategy. By involving the team early, you can increase the likelihood of gaining team buy-in and alignment for brand strategy changes. Also, recognizing inputs and being willing to adjust the strategy based on their concerns can further enhance team commitment and success.

Effective Communication: Clearly communicate the rationale behind the proposed brand strategy changes to your team. Help them understand the reasons for the shift, the expected benefits, and how it aligns with the overall goals of the organization. Open communication can address any concerns or uncertainties your team may have and create buy-in for the changes.

Start by clearly communicating the reasons behind the shift, emphasizing how it benefits both the company and individual team members. Involve key team members early in the process, seeking their input to foster a sense of ownership. Present compelling data and market insights that support the need for change. Address concerns and resistance openly, acknowledging the challenges while focusing on opportunities. Provide comprehensive training and resources to help team members adapt to new strategies. Celebrate small wins and milestones to build momentum and enthusiasm. Consider appointing change champions within the team to lead by example and support others. Create a feedback loop to continuously refine the strategy based on team insights.

Collaborative Involvement: Involve your team in the decision-making process and seek their input on the brand strategy changes. By soliciting feedback and involving team members in shaping the new strategy, you can foster a sense of ownership and engagement. Encourage open dialogue and welcome diverse perspectives to ensure that everyone feels heard and valued in the process.

Clearly communicate the new brand strategy's purpose. Show how it aligns with long-term goals and benefits the business and your team. Create a brand guidelines book and ensure all collaterals align with it. Maintain consistent messaging across all levels to avoid misinformation and keep everyone aligned.

Education and Training: Provide training and resources to help your team understand the new brand strategy and how it impacts their roles and responsibilities. Offer workshops, seminars, or one-on-one sessions to educate team members on the rationale behind the changes, the expected outcomes, and how they can contribute to its success. Empowering your team with the knowledge and skills needed to implement the new strategy can boost confidence and enthusiasm for the changes.

When you're working on a new brand strategy or rebranding an existing brand, encouraging participation from all makes it more likely to earn buy-in to the process. But, the level of involvement is equally important to define. Here's one breakdown you can use: → Core team: the day-to-day management and project decision-making (important to have decisions-making ability here) → Extended team: your core team plus organizational leadership to keep them informed → External team: all others can participate various ways, either through focus groups, 1:1 interviews, or surveys for the entire company. Defining a clear level of involvement will keep the needle moving forward with everyone involved and committed to the project.

Set Clear Objectives and Metrics: Clearly define the objectives of the brand strategy changes and establish measurable key performance indicators (KPIs) to track progress. Setting clear goals and metrics can help your team understand what success looks like and stay focused on achieving tangible outcomes. Regularly communicate progress updates and celebrate milestones to maintain motivation and momentum.

Lead by Example: Demonstrate your commitment to the brand strategy changes by leading by example. Embody the values and messaging reflected in the new strategy, and showcase enthusiasm and dedication to driving its implementation. Your team will be more likely to embrace the changes if they see leadership fully committed and actively championing the new direction.

It's crucial to get feedback. However, as a leader, you have to set the direction of the strategy, and sometimes, that requires being firm about getting your team on board. Two skills you need to have as a leader are the ability to accommodate feedback to adapt strategy and the ability to let your team know that when you make a decision, it is final. It's a difficult balance to strike, but it's crucial to ensure that your brand strategy remains focused and doesn't get pulled in too many directions whenever someone has a differing opinion.