Strike While The Future Is Hot - Part II
No matter the century, town, or city, whenever or wherever you see a thriving business, you can be certain there was once an individual with a long-term, courageous Vision. Someone with the ability to see far beyond present-day circumstances and picture a very different future.
VISION: The keen eye and long-term focus of seeing with stunning clarity what is invisible to others.
Back in 1940, in San Bernardino, California, two brothers named Richard and Maurice opened a hugely successful burger joint on 14th Street. Before long it became wildly popular with long line-ups of customers eager to consume tasty fast-food fare. Producing their products with stunning efficiency, Dick and Mac were experts at kitchen management and customer service but utterly failed to envision the future. A milkshake machine salesman from Chicago showed up one day and the rest, as they say, is history.
“When I saw it was working that day in 1954, I felt like some latter-day Newton who'd just had an Idaho potato caromed off his skull. That night in my motel room, I did a lot of heavy thinking about what I'd seen during the day. Visions of McDonald's restaurants dotting crossroads all over the country paraded through my brain”.
Ray Kroc’s grand vision was the brain explosion that created the world's largest restaurant chain, serving 69 million+ customers daily across 37,855 outlets. The world's second-largest private employer with 1.7 million employees, the distinctive ‘Golden Arches’ annually places McDonald’s among the Top 50 of the most valuable brands on the planet.
However, you don’t have to be a global behemoth to start seeing beyond your local area code. The principles for building long-term, sustainable growth are identical to what has created juggernauts such as Apple, NIKE, Lulu Lemon, Led Zeppelin, and McDonald’s. Less about having the ability to see, building an irresistible brand always hinges on a leader with the willingness to see.
Even in the worst of times. When business leaders were hunkered down in crisis mode in the spring of 2020, Jim was already seeing past the chaos. With a braver and bolder decision, he began picturing a different future for his Iconica brand.
Located in Madison, WI, this architectural, construction, and engineering firm faced an uncertain future as COVID-19 lockdowns placed a stranglehold on global supply chains, forcing many business leaders to adopt a day-to-day survival mindset. However, standing still was not an option as Jim and his senior leadership team invested time and energy to develop a distinctive brand identity that would set them up for long-term success.
If you are wondering what was going through Jim’s mind at the time and how it applies to you, watch here:
In the end, leadership boils down to asking tough questions, which include:
Who do we intend to become?
Anyone and everyone can ask, ‘What are we going to do?’ Few like Jim will have the guts to ask, ‘Who do we intend to become?’
In all matters digital – including marketing - the person least qualified to make a high-level decision is quite often the CEO. It is understandable when you recognize technology was once more of a support function before it became a vital component of any successful business and brand-building strategy. When market conditions shift and technology changes in a dramatic fashion, that’s when real leaders begin to surface. Some in leadership positions will cling to the past, insisting they need more information, falling victim to paralysis through analysis. Today’s leadership pressure cooker demands you to be decisive even when you don’t have all the answers. There is great wisdom in not knowing everything.
Top leaders know the best decisions have little to no immediate payoff. Most benefits come at the end, not the beginning. Playing a much longer game generates a bigger payoff. Unlimited opportunities are readily available each day you roll out of the rack, head to the shower, and dream of a different future.
Especially if you possess an ample supply of vision and courage to see beyond what’s possible with burgers, fries, and food trucks.
“I didn’t invent the hamburger. I just took it more seriously than anyone else.” RAY KROC
p.s….For Iconica, Jim and his team determined through careful planning and self-reflection that their shared beliefs and values were best captured with a 5-word brand narrative.
“One Revolution At A Time”.
As outlined in Chapter 7 of BIG LITTLE LEGENDS, a powerful 2-6 word narrative serves as the foundation for your entire brand strategy. More than a slogan or tagline, a compelling narrative that reflects who you already allow for endless marketing possibilities. Like NIKE with “Just Do It,” Jim and his team wanted to anchor the brand to a timeless message that captured their internal values and how they go about their business. Once that was set in stone, they could go about the business of producing creative content such as the pilot episode of a video series entitled “Adventures With ACE”.
As you might expect, Jim and many other Iconians are getting plenty of positive feedback about the video segments featuring ACE. Creating a food truck with a human character and personality demonstrates the firm’s revolutionary spirit. Reflecting a healthy disdain for the marketing status quo in a B2B environment, Iconica is on a mission to build real human connection, unlike their many competitors focused solely on their products, services and expertise. As a leader, Jim recognized early the vital role storytelling plays in developing a brand strategy that resonates with internal and external audiences who share similar heart-centred convictions and values.
p.p.s…. In the hit movie The Founder, the character of Ray Kroc (played by Michael Keaton) demonstrates the level of vision required to see beyond what others believe to be impossible. As you watch this scene, think about the moments you have witnessed how leaders always have a choice on what they choose to see.
BIG LITTLE LEGENDS.
Published in November of 2021 through Vancouver-based Page Two Publishing, this national best-seller has sparked a groundswell of support from Real Readers just like you. As it continues to gain traction, the book is now available through Wal-Mart.
“Heroes get remembered. Legends never die” BABE RUTH.
YOUR BRAND. ON TRACK.
If now is the opportune time to discover the brand story and strategy uniquely your own, consider exploring a metaphorical road trip called THE BRANDING HIGHWAY. Our Executive Bootcamps serve as a journey and destination to help your brand emerge as an undeniable, undisputed, "Category of One.” Along the way, you will discover how to create substantial Differentiation and strategic Relevance for your brand while aligning your executive team. Impossible to describe, it helps to take a quick peek at this Video Overview:
“The most important victory is the one which has to arrive” ENZO FERRARI
PLANNING A SPEAKING EVENT?
The wheels of business turn faster each quarter, and your company or industry association may be anxious to stay ahead of the lighting-fast relevance curve. In that respect, we are scheduling many in-person and virtual programs for 2022 with customized content designed to inspire conference attendees to acquire a “STADIUM-SIZED PERSPECTIVE.”
For more information on scheduling an In-Person or Virtual Speaking Program, please send us a note here: bookings@gairmaxwell.com.
Every week, someone asks a question about our videos and our media partner responsible for the storyboarding, production, and editing. Headquartered in the shadows of the CN Tower in Toronto, Ontario, Defiant Astronaut Media is uniquely positioned to help business leaders rethink what's possible with this art form. How you can Sell a Purpose. Not a Product.
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“Whatever you can do or dream, you can begin it. Boldness has genius and magic, and power in it. Begin it now” JOHANN WOLFGANG von GOETHE