Putting Lipstick On A Pig

The idea of making a swine more attractive by simply slapping on some makeup tickles my funny bone. It's laughable. And yet, how often do you see businesses using the same strategy?

We have all been witness to businesses 'slapping a fresh coat of paint over the same old stuff'. It's particularly obvious when used as a stop gap measure in marketing and rebranding.

After-all It's hard work, drawing out the authenticity of your brand and communicating to your market in a way that they will understand. It's far easier to just use a bit of lipstick.

Unfortunately (or fortunately), sooner rather than later most people realise that nothing has really changed - in fact they are now more aware of the fact because the lipstick looks a little ridiculous.

So what's the alternative? How can we avoid the hard work?

We don't!

"There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure" - Colin Powell (I'm pretty sure that trying to put lipstick on a pig qualifies as failure)

However, in context, 'doing the hard work', doesn't mean; difficult or awkward or problematic. Instead 'doing the hard work' refers to; putting in the effort, performing the work energetically and doing what is real or true eg: the cold hard facts.

Mindless toil is unrewarding, in comparison, mindful hard work is rewarding work and ultimately delivers superior outcomes.

THE 'HARD WORK' BEHIND MINDFUL REBRANDING

1. Find out what people really think

It's time to throw out the standard script you have about "who we are'. You know the one that came from some corporate profile someone wrote years ago.

Find out what your customers, clients, prospects really think of you. This is NOT done by a "web survey'. To find out what people really think, show them that you are genuinely interested in hearing what they have to say.

Try engaging a third party to ask a few questions from your current, past and even potential new clients. Ask the hard questions - the ones you always wanted to know but were afraid to ask:

• How you conduct your business,
• The effectiveness of your service,
• the value you deliver
• What it is you actually do and how your service compare to others.

2. Lipstick covers it doesn't reveal - Scrape back the gloss and show "the why'

Define the Why.

What is the true value of your business. As a client 'Why should I give a damn about what you do

If your looking for inspiration. Simon Sinek sums this up beautifully in his book Start with Why.

3. Changing the colour, name, logo - changes nothing.

Changing the clothes does not change the body underneath. In the same way, rebranding communicates what is - it does not change what is.

Work hard to discover; why you are rebranding  and/or what it is that you want to communicate or are not communicating now. Or what it is that you would like to reveal about yourself (your business).

The words of notable soprano, Beverly Sills, ring true for me;  “There are no shortcuts to any place worth going.”. So I guess the only question left to ask is: Is rebranding 'a place worth going to'?

(Updated June 2018)