Pivoting to Brand Strategy: What if the Strategy You Propose Fails?
By Levina Kusumadjaja
In the previous article (Pivoting to Brand Strategy: You are Now Solving Bigger Problems), we discussed about how pivoting from design to brand strategy means that designers need to change the way they view their work. They no longer play the same role. Previously, the focus as a designer is to specialize and grow their design skills. Now, the focus is to look at the big picture and create the best “plan of attack” so that the company can connect with customers. Unfortunately, with this “plan of attack” comes the fear that asks the question: “What if the strategy I propose fail?”
The problem: there’s a common misconception that a brand strategist needs to guarantee a win for a brand.
First of all, if you have this fear that the strategy you propose will fail, you are not alone. It’s a normal experience and it’s a part of the journey, especially if you’re still at the beginning stages of your pivot from design to brand strategy. But here’s what you need to remember: your biggest and most important role as a brand strategist is to produce the best brand strategy to help the company connect with their ideal client.
Focus on results strategy
Results are important. You want your strategy to help your clients reach their goal. But if you put your focus on the results and the fear of that unknown, you won’t grow as a brand strategist. However, when you put your focus in being better at running strategy workshops, better at understanding where the client is at and where the client wants to go, you will develop better strategies. Better strategies mean better results.
Focus on strategy —> Better strategy —> Better results
Furthermore, even after the strategy is proposed and execution has begun, it is not a “wait and see” kind-of-thing. You will be walking alongside the client, on the ground, doing field testings and making adjustments, learning as you go in the process. The responsibility of the strategy failing or succeeding isn’t solely on you. And more than that, as you continue to focus on brand strategy and work with more clients, you will gain experience. You will learn to develop more effective and more efficient strategies as you grow.
So, if you’re a creative and you’re considering about making that pivot to brand strategy, do it. Take a deep breath and give it a go. It might be tough in the beginning, but you have heard the stories from Melinda and other Bootcampers. You have seen them succeed in their pivot. You don’t have to get it right immediately and understand everything from the first day, but don’t let your fear stop you from making one of the best decisions you can make as a creative. Keep learning about brand strategy and keep moving forward.
You got this.
PS: If you want to learn more about becoming a brand strategist, join the Bootcamp!
Cheers!
Levina
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About the author:
Levina is a writer based in Indonesia. Because of Melinda Livsey, she recognized the power of brand strategy for every creative. She is sharing about her learnings as she goes to help creatives have fun in their growth and journey of building brands. Connect with her on LinkedIn and say hi!