Brand Vision: What Is the World That Could Be?
![Brand Vision: What Is the World That Could Be?](/content/images/size/w960/2021/03/1024px-Albert_Bierstadt_-_Storm_in_the_Mountains_-_47.1257_-_Museum_of_Fine_Arts.jpg)
βThe most powerful person in the world is the storyteller. The storyteller sets the vision, values, and agenda of an entire generation that is to come.β - Steve Jobs
Good stories have a common theme: they start in a world that is and show us a world that could be.
The narrative takes the hero from status quo to the envisioned destination.
Brand narratives can be constructed in a similar way.
Vision: What's Your Worldview?
For a brand, the vision is a world that could be.
- Tesla: A world run on sustainable energy
- SpaceX: A space-faring civilization
- Nike: Everyone is an athlete
A clear vision serves important functions:
- Direction: A vision shows a destination.
- Purpose: A vision outlines the payoff.
- Differentiation: A vision shows how you see the future.
Laddering: What Is My Worldview?
Big words. Visions of the future. A world that could be.
But how do we actually distill a vision?
One way is the laddering technique.
There are two ways of using the laddering technique:
- Laddering up: Ask why, why, why until you have the bird's eye view
- Laddering down: Ask how, how, how until you have the tactical steps
For vision development, we usually use laddering up.
This technique is commonly referred to as the "Five Whys".
Bottomline: Share Your Vision to Anchor a Destination
A vision is the starting point of a brand narrative.
It sets a direction, creates purpose, and communicates your own view of the world.
β°οΈ
This post is an excerpt from my online course Fundamentals of Brand Strategy where you learn how to build successful brands.
The self-paced online course contains 5 hours of video material and teaches you how to use the Brand Pyramid.
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You can hit me up on twitter. DMs are open.
Further Reading
- 17 Truly Inspiring Company Vision and Mission Statement Examples (HubSpot)
- It Starts with a Brand Vision: 6 Key Components of Successful Models (Prophet)
- Like Father, Like Son: DJing as a Performing Art Form (Art Lapinsch)
Short Excerpts from the Course
These posts are short snippets of the course curriculum π
- A Pragmatic Look at Branding: What Is a Brand?
- Touchpoints and Brand Strategy: How do We Build Associations?
- Positioning and Differentiation: How to Stand Out as a Brand?
- Brand Vision: What Is the World That Could Be?
- Brand Purpose: Why Bother?
- Brand Promise: How to Communicate in One Statement?
- Mission Statement: How Do You Do It?
- Brand Attributes: How Does the Brand Present Itself?
- Frame of Reference: Where Is the Brand Placed?
- Target Customer: Who Is Your Audience?
- Customer Need: What Is Their Real Job-to-be-Done?
- Value Proposition: What Are You Offering?
- Reasons-to-Believe: What Are Your Proof Points?