Alex Shahlaei Beeching🍊’s Post

Your brand is actually two brands in one: (1) what you say it is and (2) what the world around you says it is.   ↪️ And while you may think your value proposition and market position are locked in, your customers, prospects, competitors and industries are constantly moving. It may be time to recalibrate and (potentially) change directions.   🧠 “I think that I’m sensitive to a company of incredible people who’ve done a lot of deep diving and self-reflection and they come up with what they believe is a unique and differentiating position because they truly believe it. Then when you put that up against what is really out there, with all the noise in the market and in the world, you might find that you’re actually not in the space you thought you were in.” —Robin Lohkamp, Creative Director   ▶️ See the full video on building authentic brands at the link in bio.

Building a winning brand comes down to having a unique take on your customers' problems and how you'd solve them and having the discipline to stay committed to broadcasting this perspective through your content for much longer than you think is possible or necessary. Think forever. Sometimes, you'll come up with new and exciting ways to do this, and other times, you'll do this in ways that seem boring and redundant to you and your team. Both are required. Uniqueness is the cost of entry, but the discipline is what it takes to win. 

Celebrity partnerships can be golden— But you don’t want to get stuck in golden handcuffs. (See what I did there?) Let’s say you did it—you landed the big name to attach to your brand. But here’s the real question: What did you give up to make that deal happen? Take a look at the fine print. Are there tons of restrictions on how you can use their image? I’ve seen partnerships where the celebrity couldn’t even be filmed with the product they were promoting! Or maybe you’ve negotiated yourself into a corner—too tight a budget, too big a goal—where the partnership will barely move the needle. My advice? If the partnership isn’t fully scalable, don’t do it. Don’t blow your budget on a social post and appearance fee. I'm all about sustainable growth, and this isn't how you do it. Can’t afford the whole package? Use those dollars somewhere else to create real impact.

What's the most 𝗠𝗘𝗠𝗢𝗥𝗔𝗕𝗟𝗘 𝗕𝗥𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗡𝗔𝗠𝗘 you've come across? Most would shy away from naming a wine '19 crimes' or Malamigo ('bad friend'), with its product family of The Rebel, The Accomplice and Lady Drama. 𝗟𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 can be a 𝗕𝗜𝗚 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲! ☠️  As long as one of the name’s usages maps to one of the positioning points of the brand, consumers never take its meaning literally. 𝗟𝗼𝗴𝗶𝗰🧠 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗯𝗲 𝗮𝗻 𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗺𝘆 in a creative process. The name of your brand is its ambassador. Trust in naming professionals and 𝗟𝗘𝗧 𝗬𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗕𝗥𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗕𝗘 𝗶𝘁𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳! Tag a brand with a killer name that deserves recognition! #brand #branding #creativity #naming

What’s your Unique Selling Point? (USP) It’s something I’m working on this week for us at Two Times Creative. We specialise in Video Production for High-Performance brands. Cool, but that’s not enough. There’s plenty of others that do that here in Melbourne. Here’s genuinely my first go at stripping it down even further… With 10+ years of experience in sport, we’re really good at: 👉 Short-form videos for socials 👉 Fast-paced environments 👉 Purpose behind every video 👉 Creating for a specific audience 👉 Multiple bites of the cherry 👉 Getting stuff posted at it’s peak relevance I think it’s using everything we’ve learnt in sport and applying it on every project. This isn’t descriptive enough obviously, I’d love to have one sentence to recap it, but it’s a good start. (I actually really enjoy these types of tasks). If you’re a business owner (or similar), I’d love to know, what are your unique selling points?

How do you balance authenticity with professionalism in your personal brand? This balance is crucial for building trust and engaging your audience. Your true identity should shine through, while maintaining your professional focus and credibility. Reflect on your journey and the lessons you’ve learned over the years (the hard ones too!). These stories are powerful tools for connection and influence. I did this yesterday in a post I shared about the worst moments I experienced during a big Olympics project 24 years ago, when I was the General Manager of an International Sports Marketing Agency managing a project for the German Olympic Committee! Opening up about my toughest moments - working with Olympians, Dignitaries, teams and tantrums - and how they impacted me - both then and today. It was entertaining to read (and write!) - brought up lots of feels and emotion for me - and gave my audience a greater insight into who I am as a person, and what makes me tick. I also found a way to make it (subtely) relatable to what I do these days. And it resonated with so many people - becuase it was raw, real and relatable! Authenticity doesn’t mean oversharing; it means being genuine and true to your values. A lot of people find it hard to know the difference - but at it's core it's not about marketing (I know this might sound heretical coming from me!). It's about accepting and embracing who you are as a person, what makes you unique, and your passions - but also thinking strategically about how these impact the work you do - whether you're an expert, an entreprenuer, an employee or an executive! We all need to embrace both ends of the spectrum and marry them in the happy middle, if we want to... a) authentically CONNECT and b) strategically COMMUNICATE! If you're struggling with this balance, my book Marketing Me can help. You can get it at my website (www.ninachristian.com/book) or on Amazon - and there are lots more life and work stories in there too!

🚀 Building unforgettable brands isn’t just about great design; it’s about passion, values, and a commitment to each client’s unique story. I recently shared my journey with Voyage ATL, diving into what fuels The Branded Rooster and how we approach branding for real, lasting impact. If you’re an entrepreneur driven to stand out and make your mark, this interview sheds light on our process, philosophy, and what’s possible with the right partner. Check it out to learn more about our journey and vision! 🔗 https://lnkd.in/eT7yUjee

In today's video, we're stepping out of our comfort zone and diving into the Elijah Craig B522. This episode takes on a heavier topic as we discuss the social responsibility of brands. 🥃 What We're Drinking: Elijah Craig B522 🔍 Discussion Topic: The social responsibility of brands. #ElijahCraig #BourbonHistory #SocialResponsibility #WhiskeyDiscussion #BrandingWithPurpose #WhiskeyCommunity #BourbonReview #InclusiveBranding

Hear What In-House Agencies Have to Say about Creativity, Pitching and More Watch as creatives from Amazon, Kraft Heinz, PepsiCo, the LEGO Group, and more discuss the perception of in-house agencies, mechanics of pitching while part of a brand, and how to develop creativity, in a panel filmed during Cannes Lions 2024

Brand name fail — and it was my fault I was working with a group of restaurant owners who were forming a new entity and needed a name. I put together some incredible names. → For one set of names, we were inspired by stories they told us of following in their father’s footsteps running the family business → For another group of names, we brought in ideas that had energy and excitement, like the business of nightlife and entertainment they were in → For another grouping, we were inspired by their philosophy of restaurant management and the aspirations they had for their business They were all super creative and I was so excited to share them. There were at least five winners on the list. After presenting to the group, I asked, “So... what do you think?” They said,  “Nah… it’s none of these.” I was left speechless. Really? None at all? “Nope. None.” Damn. I was devastated. That was a big lesson for me as an expert brand strategist and amateur namer. I put all my focus on the creativity of the names, but forgot to guide my clients on the naming process, which is equally as important as the names themselves. They weren’t ready or open to accept any names because they hadn’t been primed to see the potential in the names. Since then, I’ve adjusted my process, and have successfully named dozens of brands and organizations. _ My next email update is all about naming. → Consider joining us and get the next issue dropping on May 1