Lost and found: going back to the roots of your brand
Frustrated founders are a speciality of mine. If that sounds like you, read on. Perhaps you also recognise the situation below.
Oh no, I left it on the train
Your business is on an exciting journey. You’ve come a long way. But you’ve had to adapt to grow. You’ve effectively had to change trains mid-journey to scale up. And now you have the nagging feeling that you left some important luggage on the rack. Something important was left behind along the way.
So your frustration comes not from failure or slow progress; quite the opposite. The frustration comes from sensing that you’ve lost something important in the process of growing.
The business had “a certain something” when it started: a purpose, a point of view, an axe to grind, a chip on its shoulder. You did this for a reason. You went all in, and made all the sacrifices, for a higher cause than just money. And your conviction influenced the character of the business, so that it acted as a homing signal for likeminded talent and customers.
Somehow that spark got lost along the way. It went missing in action as the business evolved, expanded, diversified.
The zing and the zest
You want to recapture that spirit, not through nostalgia, but because it could be as relevant today as it was at the start of your adventure. It will give your brand the zing and the zest that it had in the beginning. The first piece of the jigsaw back then could be the missing piece of the jigsaw right now.
My job is to refind that “something” and reframe it, or reinterpret it, for the current business context.
Retelling your origin story
This probably involves a retelling of your origin story. You started this thing because you’d seen a problem in the world that needed to be fixed. And because of your values and your formative experiences, you were uniquely qualified to be the fixer. That belief and the entrepreneurial fire in your belly (plus some seed funding) were all you needed to give it a go.
The origin story is often the source of a brand’s irresistible truth. The irresistible truth is that “certain something” that makes your ideal customers buy, buy again, and say nice things about you. It’s also the thing that will attract more customers like them.
Reclaim your lost property
This has become a common line of work for me. I’ve learned a few tricks. “Lost and found” brand strategy work has become an accidental specialism.
If this sounds like you, and you want to reclaim some lost property for your brand, please get in touch.
Here I am on LinkedIn. Or email phil at philadams dot co (dot co, not dot com).
