Recently two potential clients gave the exact same reason (or was it an excuse?) for delaying the start of a social business project: “We need to sort out our brand first.”

So was it a simple coincidence or not? In any case it got me thinking.

What makes organizations believe that they need to “sort out their brand” before engaging in a conversation with the outside world?
Having worked for over ten years in the traditional branding industry myself, I understand, and in fact respect their hesitance and the need to address the (potential) brand issues. Back then I also used to earn a living on preaching about consistency, produced endless brand bibles and insisted that the brand police abided by every single rule in the book. Structure, coherency and apply rules & regulations to everything you do – did I mention I am German by the way?

So I used to be old school. Very branding 1.0. and now?

Around three years ago I wrote my MBA thesis on the notion of ‘co-­creation’ as a challenge to traditional brand management’. It was obvious to me that the branding world had changed. Consequently, I looked for a way to practice what I preached and I found it here in Favela Fabric’s approach of two-­way interaction and transparency, enabling meaningful conversations and collaboration. It was refreshing and challenging to see that there really is another approach to address some of the fundamental issues organizations today are faced with.

Here’s the bad news:
Believe me, your brand will never be “sorted out”, especially if you do not move with the times.

In the new era of empowered customers, you as a company are in the driving seat and it’s up to you to invite your external audience to help “sort the brand out together”. Your customers know more about your brand than any brand consultant ever will, so engaging in a large-­scale dialogue with them seems the most logical way to build and maintain relevant and appealing brands.

So go for it: Tear down the walls of them and us, allow for ambiguity and start building your brand with the only true branding experts you need – your customers.
Consider me new school now.

Just wait for Very branding 3.0 – to be continued…