Let’s be honest here. The word ‘brand’ has been slung around so much it’s become as watered down as a cheap pint. It’s now as meaningful as a politician’s promise during an election—talked about, overused and misinterpreted until nobody knows what it means.
From ‘personal brands’ to half-baked start-ups shouting that they’re the next Guinness, the term has become a running joke, tossed about with all the care of a frisbee in a gale. The term has been cheapened, hollowed out and made disposable. So, it’s no wonder the CFOs in the boardroom cringe whenever they hear the word.
Honestly, the stats are a bit grim. About 65% of businesses don’t even consider their it when making decisions. Nearly a quarter of them don’t think it’s worth spending a single penny on it. And only 29% of companies are smart enough to use their brand to make themselves more competitive.
Now, I don’t know about you, but that feels like a crying shame and seriously wasted potential. It’s not just because we like pretty logos and clever slogans. It’s because a well-built brand is the engine that powers your entire business.
Did you know! That the top 100 brands globally are worth well over $7 trillion. That’s trillion with a ‘T’. Proving brand isn’t fluff, it’s cold hard cash.
The Word ‘Brand’ is Broken
I think we’ve come to this sorry state of affairs because marketing got too fluffy. Instead of focusing on hard numbers and financial impact, they were off waxing lyrical about art and storytelling (cue the eye-rolls from finance). But let’s face it, this isn’t just a marketing department problem – it’s a boardroom issue too, actually this is where the problem almost always originates. As my pops used to say ‘shit rolls downhill’.
“If the term is to be reduced to something slapped on your ads or packaging, then you are simply selling it short and leaving chunks of money on the table, it’s that simple. It’s like calling Guinness just another beer. There’s so much more bubbling under the surface.”
Strong brands sell more, charge more and keep customers coming back for more. They help businesses bounce back when times get tough and they keep the profits rolling in when things are booming. They’re the difference between being a leader or just another business staying afloat in a sea of sameness.
Brands Build Empires and Keep Them Standing
Good brands don’t just fatten the wallets of shareholders. They also whip your team into shape. A brand that knows what it stands for motivates your employees, improves productivity, and helps you attract and retain top talent. Think of it as a bit of a carrot (and maybe even a stick) to get your crew rowing in the same direction.
And there’s more to it than just employee satisfaction. A strong brand makes you a heavyweight in negotiations. It helps you secure better terms, dodge PR disasters, and break into new markets with less risk. When done right, your brand is your ultimate secret weapon and #1 business asset.
So, How Do We Fix a Broken Brand Perception
It’s simple. We need to stop treating it like a glossy ad campaign and start recognised as the business powerhouse it is. It’s the reason people choose you over the guy down the street. It’s the glue that holds your business together, connecting every part of your operations to drive growth and competitiveness.
Let’s be clear: it’s isn’t just about getting eyeballs on your ads. CEOs don’t care about flashy campaigns. They’re worried about trade deals, the cost of raw materials, and how many people they might need to lay off after a bad quarter. A brand is a business problem, not a marketing one.
The sooner we understand this, the better off we’ll all be.
Final Thoughts
‘Brand’ is the lifeblood of any successful business strategy. A strong brand is what enables you to win, to lead and to grow. Isn’t it time we stopped thinking of it as a nice-to-have and started treating it as the profit-driving, empire-building machine it is. It’s where the money is.
