Strategy, Not Content, Is King

Yogi Berra once said, “If you don’t know where you’re going, you’ll end up someplace else.” And that someplace else may prove to be a big waste of time, energy, and money. Nothing could be truer when it comes to brand building. I’ve heard the chant of the digital first believers over the past few years that branding, as we know it is dead, and content is king. Really? Content for contents sake is a losing proposition, and if you’re managing brands entrusted to you with this approach, I suggest you start looking for new clients immediately. 

A HBR article back in February 2014 eloquently addressed this matter.

“Brands still matter immensely. The role of a brand is—and never was—just about solving an information problem. It’s about providing meaning and satisfying emotional needs. These fundamental human needs have not changed. To the contrary as consumers experience information overload, there might be a tendency to gravitate toward what’s known and comforting. Sure, disruptive digital services explode and take over the world in an instant, but to go from being a popular service like Pinterest and Whatsapp to a brand that commands a proper price premium is still a long road. As information is more and more available and the importance of brands increases, the ability to tell a meaningful story through actions and products, not words, is the only way to win.”

Skilsted, Jens Martin & Hansen, Bech Hansen. “Brands Aren’t Dead, But Traditional Branding Tools Are Dying.” HBR. February 13, 2014

https://hbr.org/2014/02/the-brand-is-dead-long-live-the-brand

The ability to tell a “meaningful story” starts with a sound strategy. One that has taken the time to identify the right target audience and understand their needs, wants, and dreams. It’s only by taking the requisite time upfront, prior to launching potentially meaningless tactics, that you will be able to tell a brand story that is meaningful, relevant, and leverageable in the marketplace.