“Don’t put the cart before the horse”…a message I heard often from my metaphor-loving, English teacher father while growing up. A warning we all know about the danger of getting ahead of ourselves. As a creative entrepreneur, I find myself still replaying my dad’s words as the excitement of a new idea comes to mind. Immediately, I want to share my vision with the world, whether it’s a new offering, an incentive, or creative collaboration I am dying to put in the works. “Back up”, I have to tell myself…do we have everything in place to make this idea a successful one? Do we have the materials, the content, the outline, and the strategy to structure this concept as a vital and worthy road we are asking our clients to travel down with us.

The more time I spend building Golden Creative, the more often we are asked to bring ideas to life for our clients, and we LOVE this, especially when we are being asked to help create meaningful and impactful brand experiences. Often, business owners come to us with the hopes of getting the word out there about their own offerings, services, or products. We all know this as marketing, and for sure this is an exciting venture for both them and us, as the creative visionaries we are.

And then we ask the very important question…are we putting the cart before the horse? Does our client have the branding in place to support their marketing plan? If the answer is yes, meaning the client has worked on building an intentional brand full of foundational work, target audience identifying, has become insanely familiar with their core values, and has come up with the messaging to authentically tell their story so that it resonates with their dream customers, then we are good…the horse is perfectly placed ahead of the cart. Let’s get to marketing.

If our answer is no, then well, we have some work to do. So often in business, our “why” is so strong that it is what propels us to launch our business out of sheer excitement, just simply knowing so deeply that there is a whole audience of people out there who will need or want exactly what we have to offer. We tell our family and friends, and they resound with an encouraging, “YES!”. What an idea. People are going to love this. It’s exactly what we need. And then, you’re off. However, sometimes that means launching before really building a brand.

By now we all know that a brand is so much more than a logo, (right?!). Of course, every brand needs a suite of eye-catching visuals, including logos, a curated color story, a set of fonts, patterns, and perhaps illustrations. We want those visuals to turn the heads of the people we want to be in front of, for sure. But it’s really what lies beneath those visuals where the strongest brands are built…the foundation of a house, or the base of an iceberg (clearly, the metaphor thing was passed onto me). When a business is launched with a strong brand, one that has clearly outlined its why and to who, with what values, in what ways (operations), success is on the horizon.

I frequently tell my clients that when a brand is built purposefully, it allows you to funnel each of your decisions through that steadfast foundation, which leads to consistency and trust. If you think of some the brands you are loyal to, I bet you would say that you know exactly what to expect each time you engage with them, and that is part of the reason you love them so much. You trust them to provide exactly what you’re looking for from them.

When it comes to marketing, the success of your campaign is not only dependent on factors such as strategy, platform choice, and other modes of outreach, but also so importantly on the backbone of your business, which is your brand. Here are a few questions to ask when considering if your brand is supporting your marketing efforts:

-Is this offering/service/product in line with your brand? Does it make sense? Is it aligned with your why/your mission/your core values?

-Does the messaging around this campaign come easily (because it is the messaging you use throughout all of your content)?

-Speaking of content, do you have easy access to on-brand imagery/videography to promote your offering/service/product?

-Are you very familiar with the specific sector of your audience you are gearing your marketing campaign towards? Do you understand their individual needs/wants?

-Do you have the storytelling prepared to authentically connect with that audience on how your experience and expertise make you a great fit for resolving their needs/wants?

Whether you are tackling a marketing campaign in-house or outsourcing to an agency (like us!), this work is involved from a strategy standpoint, but the building blocks should feel easily accessible. It’s your branding that gives your campaign its backbone. If every launch feels like a struggle, it could be that your brand foundation needs some attention. Your brand should feel like the most perfectly filled toolbox, packed with everything you need to get the job done. (And on that note, my English teacher dad was also a builder, so yes to all the building metaphors too).

Here’s to all the exciting ideas, the marketing campaigns and well built brands to ignite them into impactful business offerings. As always, Golden is in your corner to help you build or elevate your brand, strategize your next move, or help you to authentically tell your story. Cart, horse and all.

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