Risks. It’s what everyone tells you to take. You take a risk starting your own business. You take a risk getting a loan. You take a risk hiring your first employee, but why does it seem to stop there? Have you ever noticed people just want to be like everyone else? Wear the same clothes, shoes, make the same choices – safety in numbers kinda stuff. Tried and true promises: Good service, quality and reliability. Yes. You can represent all of those great business ideals, but there’s a better, bolder way to deliver that message.

Has daring to be different stopped cold? Is it the conservative way we live or just the fear of fear itself? In my opinion, it’s the fear of making a statement and having to back it up. The worry that someone might think you’re too outlandish…or maybe just the repercussions of being so cool you can hardly stand it.

I have a personal story to share. (You know, ’cause I’m so cool I can hardly stand it.) As trite as it may seem, I learned a valuable lesson about branding from living in Florida. Yes, the land of gators and the Mouse taught this Midwesterner how to stand out from the rest.

Don’t Dull Your Shine.

Until the age of 23, my entire life had been lived in Minnesota – cold winters, hotdishes and extremely nice, yet reserved people. I always wore the same clothes others did, and – even though I was bursting at the seams to be bolder – I was afraid. Yes, afraid. Afraid to make a fashion statement. Afraid someone might question my bold choices. Afraid that I would be stared at or talked about for just daring to be different.

Living in Florida taught me how the other half lives. Most of the time it’s too hot and tropical to do much of anything, but everywhere my friends and I went, we did it with flair. Bright, interesting and fun are three words I would use to describe Florida. And I lived it up. When I came back home, I realized I didn’t want to blend in anymore. And so the story goes…

Leaders of the Pack.

It’s the good fight us creatives fight on a daily basis. You have a fantastic idea and a plan of execution. It will work if the client is ready to take a risk and stand out from the rest. Do you think any fashion designer created a new line or look by waiting for everyone to agree with their ideas? No.

In my 15 years of being involved in theater productions, and now in my work with TV production here at Absolute, there is one constant: Make choices. Take risks. If you make a mistake, you’ll learn what not to do. In theater we say, “If you fall on stage, fall big.” If it looks planned, like it was suppose to happen, the audience will accept it. It’s the willing suspension of disbelief. The audience accepts or overlooks the limitations to believe what you present to them as truth, until you show them otherwise.

Now, I’m not saying go out there and mess up on purpose. What I’m trying to say is that a marketing agency like ours can help you take branding risks because they’re calculated risks. We know what works and what doesn’t. Use your voice, your clothes, your management style, your name and your brand to distinguish yourself as different. You may make a few fumbles along the way, but you’ll learn faster and be smarter than the rest. Then, they’ll watch as you rise.

Become Internationally Known.

Here are some current examples of national risk-taking brands:

KMart – “Ship my pants.” This commercial says it all. You can’t get any more bold than this. You’ll definitely come running from the kitchen to see this commercial.

Old Navy – “Come fun, come all.” This commercial is about a style upgrade: “White is the new blue.” With Old Navy’s special brand of campiness, you know where they stand. There’s no mistaking their brand. They don’t take themselves so seriously and they have fun with it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XzojpCV5dnw

Cherry Berry – “Best on the Planet.” Bold colors, bold statement and the feel and look to back it up – fun, upbeat, colorful and the aim to entertain a family of frozen yogurt lovers. The candy dispensers spin and move and even the chairs are fun. Recently, Cherry Berry started their “froyo on wheels” where they send out a mini store on wheels to fairs and events. It’s just like the store and just as refreshing.

And some local risk takers too:

HoDo – Locally revered as the creative spot to hang out, you’ll see all kinds from musicians to theater goers and everything in between at the Hotel Donaldson. It’s a great place to drink and dine and hear the locals play. Currently, the HoDo is the only restaurant in North Dakota with a Four Diamond rating by AAA, featuring ambiance as their key to success. With interesting architecture and walls that have secrets and bikes hanging from them, the HoDo is a place to sit and admire, to people watch and to play. 

 

Shannalee – A local Fargo store housing the hottest brands and an interesting variety at that. One of my favorite items in this store is the signage thanking consumers for shopping downtown and buying local. The store also features a TV area for guests and a quirky sign reading, “Unattended children will be given candy and a puppy.” See, it’s fun! That’s all it has to be. Not so serious and it gives you a little giggle too.  

JL Beers – With a mobile tagline like “Tap that App!” you’ve added some serious chill to your beer drinkin’. The throwback burger joint makes no reservations about using creative and bold marketing concepts to get customers in the door and loving their brand.

Be Bold.

The point is that being bold can be a good thing. And if you want to survive in the market, you need to find out what makes you truly different from the competition.

That’s where I come in. When I write for branding purposes, unique is always better. Adding a little spice and making a little “word love” can make all the difference. 

When I think of a companies I want to do business with, I think of words that are synonymous with bold: audacious, courageous, enterprising, fearless and heroic. One of my favorite quotes is from the band Shinedown saying: “Don’t be delicate. Be vast and brilliant.” I keep it near so I don’t forget to practice what I preach.

Make Some Waves, Then Splash Around.

So next time you’re unwilling to take a risk or unsure about being bold, remember that being different takes courage. It could be a clever slogan or billboard, or guerrilla marketing technique. If you set your sights low and present a brand that blends into the background, it will be acceptable at best. Rags to riches American author and entrepreneur, John Rohn, said, “If you are not willing to risk the unusual, you will have to settle for the ordinary.”

Bold makes a statement.

Bold takes a risk.

Bold will never be confused with boring.

And boring has no place in marketing.