Inspiration for developing brands can come from the strangest places. I'm watching a scene from Iron Man 2 and am struck that this is an amazing lesson about the history, hopes, dreams, and limitations of brands.
Howard Stark breaks scene and faces the camera:
"Tony ... you're too young to understand this right now, so I thought I would put it on film for you. I built this for you — and some day you'll realize that it represents a whole lot more than people's inventions... it represents my life's work. This is the key to the future... I'm limited by the technology of my time — but one day, you'll figure this out. And when you do, you will change the world. What is and always will be my greatest creation... is you."
[As a dad... I'm not crying! You are!]
Take this idea: I'm limited by the technology of my time. Think about Mary Kay Ash, John Delorean, Max Factor, Frederick Mellinger, Howard Hughes... and brands like Radio Shack, Milton Bradley, Erector... how were they limited by the technology — or society — of their time? If they had the same spirit and ideas today what would they come up with? This is how to look at your brands.
- Mary Kay isn't a make-up brand — it's a brand that empowers women in business... and isn't afraid to flaunt it.
- John Delorean didn't just start a car company, he was the original disruptor — changing industrial processes from the inside.
- Max Factor wanted to let women perform flawlessly beautifully on stage — but in 1920, the only stage was Hollywood. What's a stage in 2020? A TED talk? The National-Stage? How can he help them now?
How can you take this thinking and reinvigorate your brand... and how can you look at brands that failed — and point to where they went wrong?
- Blockbuster broke the limits of where, when and with whom you enjoyed entertainment... they weren't just a video-rental shop... but they held on far too long to VHS and DVD rental. This is where they failed and where Netflix took over. But what would a company be or do today if they were about limitless entertainment? ... Who else should have zigged when they should have zagged? How can they get back on course?
Sound like bullshit? It is... refer to the old posts: All branding is bullshit. But it's bullshit we believe in. It's bullshit we line up for — and bullshit we even fight for. That's meaningful. And when you can sort the good bullshit from the bad: you win.
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