What do you do if your team lacks motivation and inspiration in brand strategy?
When your team hits a slump in brand strategy enthusiasm, it can feel like you're trying to sail in a windless sea. But fear not, motivation and inspiration are not finite resources. They can be reignited with the right approach, transforming your brand strategy sessions from monotonous to dynamic. By understanding the root causes of the dip in energy and employing strategies to rekindle the spark, you can steer your team back on course to creating a compelling and successful brand identity.
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Idaira Domínguez SosaCMO | Marketing & Sales Director | Top Voice LinkedIn Digital Strategy & Marketing Management | Digital Marketing |…
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Bernadette FitzpatrickFull stack CMO & Brand Strategist | LVMH, SEPHORA, BENEFIT COSMETICS | Innovation & Transformation | Board Member SF…
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Jason LonsdaleChief Strategy Officer
Sometimes, a lack of motivation stems from unclear or unattainable goals. Revisit your brand strategy objectives with your team to ensure they are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART). This process can help clarify the direction and purpose of your efforts, making the tasks at hand more compelling. If goals have shifted or become outdated, take this opportunity to realign and redefine them together, ensuring everyone is on the same page and driven by a common purpose.
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Start by fostering open communication to understand their concerns and challenges. Provide opportunities for professional development and skill-building to reignite passion and confidence in their abilities. Encourage collaboration and brainstorming sessions to generate fresh ideas and perspectives. Recognize and celebrate team achievements to boost morale and reinforce the value of their contributions. Additionally, set clear goals and expectations, offering autonomy and support to empower team members in their roles. By fostering a positive and supportive work environment, you can reignite motivation and inspiration within your team, driving creativity and innovation in brand strategy.
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🌟 Struggling with team motivation in brand strategy? 🌟 Before overhauling your goals, let's get to the core of the issue: understanding the human element. Perhaps your team's bogged down with tasks that don't align with their strengths or passions, leading to a major disconnect. And those pesky emotional distractions? Anxiety, frustration—total motivation busters. By tackling these issues head-on, we can craft customized solutions and pave the way for a team that's energized and poised for success.
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A dip in team motivation often signals it's time to reassess and update our goals to make sure they're clear, realistic, and aligned with our current brand strategy. Setting SMART goals together not only refreshes our focus but also reignites our collective drive by providing a clear, shared purpose. Let's collaboratively refine our objectives to ensure they are both inspiring and attainable.
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Agreed, but not so fast. Teams will benefit from first seeking to understand the situation. Is one individual employee lacking motivation? Is a larger group of employees lacking motivation around the brand and brand strategy, perhaps because they disagree with how it aligns with business objectives and/or values? Once the situation is assessed, the right leaders can reassess goals and identify next steps accordingly. It's also extremely important to set a foundation of educating all employees and stakeholders and be transparent about your brand strategy. Educate them on your brand strategy, brand messaging, timelines and especially WHY. Checking in with your core values and reassessing goals is an ideal place
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Sometimes getting outside of your normal atmosphere can open people creativity. You can do this by taking a trip outside or doing a creative activity before you start brainstorming.
Empowerment can be a powerful motivator. Encourage your team members to take ownership of various aspects of the brand strategy. By giving them autonomy and the opportunity to make meaningful contributions, you'll likely see a surge in their investment and enthusiasm. Recognize individual strengths and assign roles that allow each team member to shine. This not only fosters a sense of pride in their work but also promotes a more collaborative and inspired team environment.
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Empowering team members to take ownership of aspects of the brand strategy is crucial for fostering a dynamic and motivated workforce. By granting autonomy and recognizing individual strengths, you not only inspire enthusiasm but also cultivate a collaborative environment where everyone feels valued. This approach not only enhances productivity but also encourages innovation, leading to a more resilient and successful brand strategy.
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Fostering ownership for your corporate or personal brand can be tricky. It requires flexibility and patience from your branding team and all stakeholders involved. That's because your corporate brand belongs to everyone in the company. That said, brand strategy teams and leaders should be crystal clear on what the branding guidelines and requirements are. As a member of a brand strategy team, part of your responsibility is to at a certain point act as "Brand Police" and enforce that everyone is using the correct logo, messaging, etc. online with customers and on their personal social media, for example. There are lots of creative ways to foster brand ownership without letting everyone do whatever they want with your brand.
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Search All the Parks in All the Cities in All the World and You’ll Find No Statues of Committees. - Gilbert K. Chesterton At first glance, this quote may appear to promote the lone wolf over the team. But not really. The point here is empowerment and accountability. There's a balancing act to be performed. Fostering overall ownership to the collective team while doing it individually through delegation. This is how you make the most of your team's collective talents. Winning together, while your stars have a chance to shine.
A monotonous environment can stifle creativity. Introduce new stimuli to your team's workspace or routine to break the monotony and spark inspiration. This could be as simple as changing the meeting location, incorporating visual aids, or inviting guest speakers who can offer fresh perspectives. Stimulating the senses and providing different experiences can help your team think outside the box and reignite their passion for brand strategy.
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If you want new stimuli, temporarily exchange the marketing box for a Lego box. ;) We've used Lego for creative brainstorming sessions and campaign reviews. Especially at the start of the session, using the block to build something related to the purpose of the meeting has helped us approach topics from unexpected perspectives.
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One of the best ways to foster brand creativity is to get outside and out and about in the world! Know your avatar- who are you calling out to. And then go visit the types of places that they go do. Coffee Shops, Restaurants, Hotels, places of work. See the colors, sights, sounds. Write down what resonates with you and start thinking creatively in that direction.
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I'm a big fan of using stimuli to inspire creativity. Sure, it can come in the form of aided or forced stimuli... use best practices or case studies from top brands in a different category to spark new ideas for your brand/category, use projective exercises to inspire lateral thinking and new strategic articulations, or apply various brand frameworks like an archetype exercise. But it can also come in the form of random inspiration and serendipity. Go watch a movie. Play a video game. Read a book or article that's unrelated to what you're work on. The magic often comes when you go beyond your "typical" and rational way of thinking.
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🌟 Seeking to reignite your team's motivation in brand strategy? 🌟 Introducing creative stimuli can work wonders! Spark new ideas and engage team members by incorporating innovative approaches like brainstorming sessions, design thinking workshops, or exposure to inspiring brand campaigns. This infusion of creativity breaks monotony, stimulates fresh perspectives, and fosters excitement, leading to renewed motivation in tackling brand challenges.
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Make sure all group members get the opportunity to share ideas even if they seem unusual. Eliminate hierarchical roles and start with those who are less likely to share, or less heard. Allow people to share their ideas through writing, drawing, and verbal processing.
Open lines of communication are vital for a motivated team. Create an environment where feedback is welcomed and valued. Encourage your team to voice their opinions and ideas about the brand strategy without fear of judgment. This level of transparency can lead to breakthrough ideas and a sense of communal achievement. Additionally, responding constructively to feedback can strengthen trust and respect within the team, further boosting motivation.
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💡Open communication is the essential for the success teams, especially in brand strategy💡 When team members feel safe sharing ideas and honest feedback, it fosters a sense of ownership and collective purpose. This can lead to more creative and effective brand development. 🎯 Here's how to encourage it: 1. Meetings: Create a space for open discussion and brainstorming. 2. Active listening: Pay close attention to everyone's input and acknowledge their contributions. 3.Safety: Make sure team members feel comfortable expressing themselves freely. ☑️ By prioritizing open communication, you can motivate your team and develop a strong brand strategy together.
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As a businessman, I wholeheartedly endorse the importance of open communication and feedback within a team. It fosters innovation, collaboration, and a sense of ownership among team members. Embracing diverse perspectives can lead to dynamic strategies and solutions, ultimately driving the success of the brand. Encouraging feedback without judgment builds trust and empowers individuals to contribute their best.
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Your door should always be open. And whenever a friend enters the room, you must lower your phone, close your computer, and look them in the eye. This shows respect for your friend across from you and demonstrates that you are sincerely listening. In this way, by creating open communication, a safe environment is ensured for the entire team to feel comfortable.
A lack of inspiration can sometimes be due to a skills gap. Offer training opportunities that can help your team members expand their knowledge and expertise in brand strategy. Whether it's workshops, webinars, or online courses, learning new concepts and techniques can rejuvenate their interest and provide them with the tools they need to innovate. This investment in their professional growth can lead to a more competent and confident team.
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I would prioritize open communication channels to understand their concerns and ideas. Additionally, I would provide training sessions or workshops focused on brand strategy fundamentals, creative brainstorming techniques, and industry trends to inspire fresh perspectives and reignite enthusiasm. By fostering an environment of transparent communication and continuous learning, we can empower team members to contribute creatively to brand strategy and drive impactful results.
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It seems that too many marketers operate in a bubble, insulated from the very people they are hoping to influence. Get your team out interacting with your brand's customers in as real a way as possible. Visit the stores and the aisles, watch people, listen to them. Go to their homes, learn more about them as humans, not just as "consumers". (If this seems difficult, I'll happily intro you to some amazing researchers who can make this happen with you!)
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Futureproof Yourself They say that the best way to predict the future is to create it. With so many people finding themselves made obsolete by change, it may be a good idea to learn the skills that are changing your business. In advertising, more and more projects are either social, digital or AI in nature. Training yourself in these areas could make the difference between a promotion or a layoff. That's not to say that you necessarily have to become a programmer or an expert in these fields, but a firm understanding of such skills can a long way. Continual learning will definitely rejuvenate you. You may even discover a new career path that you enjoy even more. As my 92-yeqr-old friend used to say, "Here's the future!"
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I closely observe all my teammates. Even if I know they are wrong, I allow them to implement their decisions and take responsibility for their mistakes. This helps them see their errors and enables them to develop by taking responsibility. While doing this, I conduct feedback meetings on an ad-hoc basis. In these meetings, I highlight areas of improvement and ask them if they want to improve. This way, I first create awareness within themselves. Then, I encourage them to research the training courses and certification programs they want to pursue, and then I make efforts to ensure they are provided by the company. I believe that learning through training and external environments is crucial for every level.
Lastly, don't forget to celebrate the milestones and successes, no matter how small. Recognizing achievements can significantly boost team morale and motivation. Create a culture that celebrates progress and hard work, which can reinforce the value of everyone's contributions. Celebrating successes not only serves as a reminder of what the team is capable of but also helps build momentum for future brand strategy initiatives.
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Always express gratitude, applaud, and make frequent use of instant reward systems. Everyone desires to be liked and appreciated!
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Celebration Fuels Your Next Success Forget about running a marathon. Think of your efforts as a decathlon. Each segment requiring different skill sets. And then repeating them all again. Along the way, take time to celebrate your achievements along the way. Take in learnings. Share your successes. Show gratitude. Each stop gets you motivated and ready for the next phase of the competition.
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🌟 Getting to the heart of team motivation with 4 golden nuggets: 1️⃣ Task Alignment: Connect tasks to what lights up your team's soul. Sync personal and professional goals. 2️⃣ Self-Efficacy Balance: Boost confidence with victory reminders. Got a superhero feeling overqualified? Shake things up with fresh approaches. 3️⃣ Emotional Distractions: Ain't nobody got time for anxiety and frustration! Slide into those private chats, lend an ear, and sprinkle some positivity. Soften those edges! 4️⃣ Identifying Challenges: Tackle those obstacles together - as a team! Take baby steps, five minutes at a time, and crush those hurdles! 💡 Unleash your inner problem-solver to amp up that productivity!
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