Lacking in perception
A brand that has been winning battles, but lacking in perception, will lose the war
Winning battles
In a brand’s journey, it’s the strategic starting point founded on a core insight that gives the brand a clear perspective of the
direction and purpose.
Now, what happens if there’s no insightful starting point, clear cut direction and purpose?
The consequences are twofold, long term and short term. In the long run, it will lose ground to a clear-minded competition, in
that the brand neither reaches its full potential nor aspires its own talented people, let alone attracting bright minds to the
team.
Instead, the brand will be gravitated, distracted and misled by short term tactical battles. It may even win many and lose some,
and give in to a culture of winning misleading battles. Eventually, digging its own comfort zones and echo chambers. No one is
immune to this deceptive path. There are cases of waning political and corporate brands that are increasingly becoming
irrelevant to post millennials, yet are engaged in their own battles.
Lacking in perception
It calls for original, deep, honest insights, be it from the hearts of the believers or from the cracks in the competition to extract
a coherent brand culture, design, communications and innovation. When the starting point is rooted in truth, there unfolds a
clearcut perception of the path and purpose. But when it’s not, the brand can only be short sighted and lacking in perception.
Losing the war
It’s when a relatively new competitor discreetly encroaches on a complacent leader’s territory targeting the latter’s strategic
weak points that the former’s vulnerability begins to get exposed. It’s an irony that everyone except the complacent leader
fails to see the writing on the wall. Such is the deceptive bondage of comfort zones.
The problem of lacking in perception will eventually play into the hands of an aggressive competitor with a clear cut long term
vision to draw all the doubters from the waning brand and convert them into passionate believers and ambassadors.
Liberation from comfort zones
But then, it’s not that the complacent leader never has a second chance. There’ll always be the glaring moment of truth when
it becomes obvious that the leader is losing ground. It’s never too late to admit that the leadership has been blinded by tactical
battles and losing the image war for hearts and minds that matter.
It calls for integrity to admit mistakes, courage to make changes and true leadership to take big, bold actions, but then inspiring
leadership also means inspiring humility. The next step should be removing the walls of the comfort zones and reaching out for
a whole new starting point.
Founded on truth.
