Bold Moves for Brands

Bold Moves for Brands

How to call mighty forces to amplify your business.

“Be bold, and mighty forces will come to your aid.” This is a line from the movie Almost Famous by Cameron Crowe. 

If you haven’t seen the movie, here’s the scene set up for context. 

William Miller, the central character of the movie that’s loosely based on Cameron Crowe’s life, is a young 15-year-old rock journalist following an up-and-coming band around the country to write a Rolling Stone article about them. As William goes on the road with the band traveling from LA to Cleveland to NY and throughout the country, his mother in California, who’s a college professor, worries about him. 

Rightly so.

“Rock stars have kidnapped my son,” she blurts out mid-lecture to her college class. She calls to check in on her son just before the band is about the take the stage and ends up on the phone with the star lead guitarist of the band, Russell. Because she’s not seduced by the rock and roll lifestyle, she offers unsolicited motherly guidance to the unprepared rock star. “There’s hope for you yet…Be bold, and mighty forces will come to your aid.” 

It’s not wishful thinking. 

Bold actions inspire those around you. It creates a gravitational pull toward courage—attracting more of the right people to your work, your business, your cause. 

When you’ve set out to do some serious good in the world, to make positive changes, to move people, you tap into the wellspring of others who are trying to do similar things. Here, your efforts shift into the collaborative game of business. 

Three ways you can Be Bold.

Uncommon collaboration

A 50-year-old wedding catering service in Southern California called Jay’s, holds tasting events every couple of weeks (when COVID isn’t happening). Engaged couples can try out their tasty delights, and also on hand are local florists, photographers, wedding location coordinators, and planners. This turns into a one-stop-shop for couples, where every vendor gets exposure.

Another example is Virgin Atlantic, who collaborated with the original onesie designers OnePiece, to trial a limited edition onesie (one-piece comfort wear) for first-class passengers, two high-profile brands with very different yet mutual consumer interests.

Take a stand.

Another form of your business boldness might be taking a stand for something. 

Method, the climate-conscious cleaning products business uses the tagline of “People against dirty.”

Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream takes a stand against hate by supporting racial justice issues

And, of course, there is Apple, whose iconic ad in 1984 was a stand against the sameness of Big Brother computing. 

Redefine assumptions.

In celebration of their 60th anniversary, Dove launched a campaign to redefine beauty in the skincare industry. From their beauty manifesto: “We believe that beauty should be a source of confidence and not anxiety. Dove inspires women to want to look like the best version of themselves – because looking and feeling your best makes you feel happier.”

Tesla has done and continues to make bold moves in redefining how we see and shop for cars—they are the anti-gas-guzzler. With a 2020 Market Cap of $292 billion, the closest automaker is Toyota at $204 billion; Tesla is changing the industry for good. 

Bold ideas play into the long game.

When playing the cooperative, stand-against, and redefining games of business, you’re not hyper-focused on beating the competition. You’re focused on doubling down on your unique brand of greatness potential. 

So, what’s the boldness that is calling your business forward? 

Who are the brands your business can collaborate with to amplify your collective impact?

What is your brand committed to taking a stand for? 

What are the ways you might disrupt the status-quo of your industry that’s true to your brand?

What mighty forces might come to your aid in taking bold moves? 

Mighty forces come in surprising packages. Maybe it’s the way you uniquely serve your customers. Maybe it’s the way you attract, onboard, and train employees. Maybe it’s the unique niche your brand surfs in your own blue ocean strategy. 

Bold solutions pay off in the long-game of business. The long-game, I have found, is nearly always the best type of business strategy.

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