Branding an Ultra Marathon, Not a Sprint

We’ve all heard of Ultra-Marathons. Think about the mental toughness, fortitude, and physical conditioning needed. I like to think about branding as an Ultra Marathon. The question is, does your organization have the mental toughness and grit to stay the course and keep moving forward? I would argue that branding is an Ultra Marathon without a finish line.

If you expect immediate results from changing or updating your brand, I wish you the best of luck, but you’re missing the point.  Branding drives all parts of your organization. If you look at your organizational chart, you may not have a CBO or Chief Brand Officer, but who within your organization is the keeper of the brand, making sure all messaging, marketing, and physical space is on brand?

I recently spent the weekend in Madison, Wis, with my college-age nephew and attended a Big Ten basketball game. We took a picture to send to his sister, and she responded that it is not on-brand for you, uncle Greg. She’s right; me wearing a Badger sweatshirt and hat is not on brand as a Minnesota guy, but at least it wasn’t Packer attire. Keep in mind that she is studying marketing and communications and trying to wow her uncle with her newfound collegiate knowledge.

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