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it , knowing that strong brands are not by chance , they don ’ t just happen . They need to set objectives , strategize , plan , and implement . They need to ‘ fight ’ for the resources , with other departments , needed for this task .
Thirdly is the need to eliminate guess work which can be costly and frustrating . One must seek information and the knowledge it brings . Employing research , formal and informal , to gather useful insights into the business environment in particular the customer and competition . They should be naturally curious knowing that it ’ s only in an ideal world that curiosity killed the cat . In the world of brand building , curiosity nails and keeps the customer . They need to be hawk-eyed constantly poking their noses into the consumers business and asking questions ; how is the consumer reacting to the environment . For example how are they adjusting to cope during this season of Covid-19 ? How have their priorities changed ? What are they foregoing ? What pain or discomfort are they experiencing that my product can alleviate ? In what direction is the wind of the PESTEL factors blowing ? When it changes what is its new direction ? How is it affecting the consumer ? Does our brand need to adjust its sails or jump onto a new ship ? Information leads to useful insights that enable the marketer to make better decisions crucial for the brands they are building .
The fourth is the courage to make the necessary adjustments and changes however uncomfortable or painful . Additionally they must be fluid and act with speed . Inflexibility and holding onto the ‘ we have always done it this way ’ will stymie the growth of their brand . Or worse still send it to its grave . Kodak photo films and Telkom telephone booths , which long disappeared , are a constant reminder of the need for agility . One must know when to use the scalpel and when to employ the hack saw . An example of the need to adapt was highlighted in an article by George Wachira appearing in the Business Daily , Wednesday 21st July 2021 . The writer , a veteran of the Energy sector , cites the case of the oil marketer , Total who is rebranding to TotalEnergies . Appreciating the concerns of foil fuels Total is going big on renewable energy , solar and wind . My take is that the writing on Green Energy movement is on the wall and Total is answering to the call , before it ’ s too late .

It is important to state that organizations should appreciate the benefits of strong brands and that it is everyone ’ s responsibility within the organization to actively contribute towards building one . Those that do this avail the necessary resources for brand building and therefore have a head start .

The fifth is the need to internalize and make use of marketing tools . They need to appreciate that market segmentation , positioning , brand purpose , top of mind awareness , the buyers ’ journey , search engine optimizations are not just phrases and terminologies to be thrown around but useful tools for brand building . They must be adept at utilizing them knowing which , when and how to exploit them fruitfully .
The sixth is the appreciation that one cannot build a strong brand as a lone ranger . As it takes a village to raise a child so is a strong brand built through collaboration and cooperation . It ’ s therefore necessary to carefully select the necessary business partners employing a well thought out criteria and thorough procedure . Such partners include the following agencies ; communication , research , digital , experiential marketing as well as the media . After the selection it is important to know how to leverage them and forge tight relationships based on mutual respect and trust . Effort is needed to build and maintain these fruitful alliances treating them as indispensable partners not just one of the suppliers on their ‘ prequalification list ’. The marketer should open their doors and get their partners to understand how they work and also get to know how these partners work as well . Constant and candid communication is very useful . Briefing these agencies succinctly and with clarity of the task at hand , the objective , the target audience , and the product goes a long way in building a strong brand . When things go wrong , as they normally do , they should seek to resolve the issues amicably , quickly and value the reasons learnt . Treat these partners as human beings , avoid place blaming , and discourage a ‘ master slave relationship ’ that brings unproductive friction , detrimental to productivity . Above all encourage candid feedback knowing it ’ s crucial in nurturing the relationship that is so important in brand building . And when the relationship must come to an end , for whatever reason , take it in their stride and don ’ t burn the bridges .
Lastly they should be thirsty for knowledge , voraciously consuming and soaking in information from varied sources . Marketers should be perpetual learners acknowledging that in this fast paced and fluid world , constant sharpening of one ’ s hard and soft skills is the only way to remain relevant and useful in brand building . Therefore consult , read widely , attend webinars and seminars . Pick valuable lessons from successful brands , as well as those that have failed .
In conclusion the business arena in which brands operate is getting tougher every day . It is characterized by unpredictable changes coupled with a better educated , more demanding and unforgiving consumer . More often than not it throws a curved ball as Covid-19 has done . Yet brands we must build and our marketing arena is desperate for astute brand builders .
It takes patience , grit and a little bit of luck to build a strong brand . To avoid being average at best and heading to the grave yard at worst , a marketer must adapt their moves with the changing tunes . As Steve Jobs advised , ‘ don ’ t settle ’ and ‘ stay foolish , stay hungry ’.
As you answer to this call I wish you all the very best .
Robert Wamai is a trainer and advertising consultant , a passionate consumer advocate and believer in the power of brands . You can engage him on this or related matters via email at : Wamai . Robert @ gmail . com .