Simplicity, purpose, openness and flexibility. Jessica Ryde, senior consultant at R/GA London, believes that a strong brand proposition will separate winners from losers.
In less than a decade, four in ten of today’s Fortune 500 companies won’t exist according to research from Washington University. Set against the pace of technological change, winners and losers are appearing faster than ever before. And when those winners do emerge, it won’t just be because they have the best technology or product, but also because they know how to leverage their brand.
We’ve seen from some of our biggest clients how a strong brand can guide creative and strategic decision-making to claim success. Take Nike, for example. Their proposition to ‘bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete’ has powered an ecosystem of market-leading products and services like Nike On Demand, Nike ID and Nike Run.
In the wider industry, it’s clear that brand confidence attracts top talent and creates a springboard for product innovation with startup unicorns like Tesla and Airbnb. Across our own Ventures Program – a one-of-a-kind accelerator combining creative and financial capital – we’ve seen how startups with the best propositions are the most successful at fundraising.
So, how do you build a compelling brand proposition? You need to hold four key principles in mind.