ch-ch-ch-changes

What can a business learn from a rock star?

David Bowie wasn’t just a musician, an entertainer, a style icon. He was Bowie, the brand. He not only adapted to cultural changes over four decades in the public eye, he led the revolution. In music, in art, in fashion he consistently reinvented his image, influencing multiple generations of creative, adventuring souls.

We loved discovering the latest version of Bowie, to see where he’d go next.

Yet, through all those changes, he remained unmistakably Bowie. That’s genius.

the art of rebranding

David Bowie taught me more about branding than all my college professors combined. The lesson: Stay fresh, stay relevant. Stretch. Be unique. Be fearless. Be yourself.

When we work with clients, we’re constantly pushing for review and reassessment. We look at where we’ve been with the business, what’s working and what isn’t. We stay current with what’s happening in the marketplace. We explore innovative techniques and new opportunities presented by the latest technology. Then we update and reinvent. We tweak the product or service line, if needed, in addition to the communication and creative strategy. Three to six months later, we do it again.

The ability to innovate ahead of as well as in response to the marketplace is marketing brilliance. Steve Jobs had it. So did David Bowie. Tap into their legacy and rock your brand.

some basics

In a nutshell, here are a few business tips gleaned by an unabashed Bowie fan from a lifetime of observing the master.

• Know who you are. Allow your passion to shape your brand image. Stay true to your core.
• Don’t try to be what you’re not. Understand what you do best. Deliver excellence in that, and only that.
• Distill your brand to the essence. Craft your identity and image from there. Let your personality shine.
• Connect with your tribe. Use innovative marketing techniques, focused messaging and appropriate media channels to engage with customers and prospects. Develop relationships.
• Refresh. If you’re not growing and evolving as a company, it may be time to rebrand. Engage your team. Listen to your customers. Observe your competitors. Then make some ch-ch-ch-changes!