How Sex, Drugs, and Rock-n-Roll Brought Me to Brand Strategy
As a brand strategist and qualitative researcher, I’m often asked how I got into this line of work. My answer may surprise you – it was through the time-tested classic trifecta of Sex, Drugs and Rock-and-Roll. Let me share with you my backstory and then my top three takeaways on the value of building your brand strategy.
I’ll back up: Through a series of unusual events, I was hired as the Marketing Manager for a tequila company owned by a world-famous musician. I was employee number three, behind the owner and the president.
It was wild. It was fun. I have a lifetime of stories that include parties at the Playboy Mansion and taking birthday shots with Tommy Lee. Two different events, believe it or not.
I was on the front lines of new marketing opportunities for the brand, and found myself surrounded by big personalities —music label executives, bar and nightclub owners, and global liquor distributors — not to mention the fans. People loved this man, and by association, his tequila.
We were inundated with ideas. For every ten, five ideas were worth serious consideration — but we had no decision-making matrix in place. After a year of hustle and subjective decision-making, I was blessed with a newcomer who would forever change my life: a brand strategy consultant.
I had never heard the term “brand,” let alone what a brand strategist did.
I quickly fell in awe of her magical powers of creating clarity and purpose. She built a framework that helped us make decisions quickly — and even more important, objectively. Everything was looking rosy.
Then came our first test.
A meeting was called to discuss our marketing priorities for the year. Said rock star was on break from his tour. Stakeholders from across all of his business interests were present — everyone from the LA publicist to the Mexican distiller. Before we could present our strategic work, the Rock Star jumped in with an idea for a billboard. Let’s just say it was right out of the Sex, Drugs and Rock-and-Roll playbook. While it made sense for his personal brand, it didn’t seem to make sense for the tequila brand.
The room was dead silent while everyone looked at someone else for a way to say “no” without getting torn apart like a penthouse hotel suite.
Enter, our hero: Our brand strategist calmly walked the players through a series of questions, and without ever saying the word “no,” redirected the team and the energy of the entire meeting. We left feeling completely aligned and excited about our (much less offensive) plan.
It was a turning point for our growing team, and a game-changer for me. I experienced the power of a well-constructed brand framework, and watched in real time as it made a small marketing team exponentially more effective.
Here are my top three takeaways on the value of building a brand strategy:
No. 1: It makes your life easier
Knowing what to say NO to means your team has more time to focus on the right YESes. The strategy provided a clear direction for all stakeholders, helped to focus our efforts and resources on activities that would have the most impact on the brand.
No. 2: It saves you time and resources
While we had the backing of a celebrity, we operated as a small, scrappy startup. We needed to make every dollar stretch. With a framework in place, we reached consensus faster, avoiding time wasted on approvals, ineffective marketing activities or conflicting messaging.
No. 3: It brings teams together
We had a variety of smart and charismatic stakeholders. Everyone brought their experience and best intention to the table but we weren’t always aligned. The process of building a framework enabled cross-pollination and generated buy-in from a divergent group of people.
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In short, a well-constructed brand framework can make a small marketing team exponentially more effective, saving time, resources, and headaches along the way.
If you’re ready to brand-build like a rock star, let’s connect.
Schedule a completely free, no commitment discovery consultation today.
