Anything worth doing...

Instinctively, we know only a full effort will do. Our mothers and fathers told us, “Anything worth doing, is worth doing right.”

But we don’t. We may dream with ambition, but we live with limitation. Money, time... confidence. We settle. We fixate on price, not return. We stare opportunity cost in the face and lie, “This will be good enough.”

But it isn’t. In fact, after the bills are paid and the goods delivered, we feel worse. We aren’t where we wanted to be, and we're left with fewer resources to get there.

Inputs vs. Outputs

When it comes to brand strategy, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. From campaign collateral to websites, package design to branded environments, there’s no shortage of opportunity to curate brand image. So, we take a defensive posture. We ask, “What do I want to put into this?” when we should ask, “What do I want to get out of it?”

Focusing on inputs rather than outputs is a race to the bottom that may address the issue, but it probably won't solve problems. The internal monologue begins like this: “I just need a (FILL IN THE BLANK).” But just because you aren’t focused on the details doesn’t mean your audience isn’t affected by them.

Every touchpoint and every interaction someone has with your brand either builds or breaks trust. There’s no better way to throw that equation out of balance than with inconsistency. That’s because great brand experiences don’t make mediocre ones better. Mediocre experiences negate the value of great brands.

Shortcut the process and ignore the details at your peril. Half measures can kill.