July 21: National Brand Health Day
I've been in the US a long time, and there are things that don't exist elsewhere. For example, every day is National (Something) Day and in fact multiple things within the day. Today is:
- National Invite an Alien to Live with You Day
- National Legal Drinking Age Day
- National Be Someone Day
- National Craft for your Local Shelters Day
- National Junk Food Day
- National Tug-Of-War Tournament Day
- National No Pet Store Puppies Day
- National Take a Monkey to Lunch Day
- National Get Out Of The Dog House Day
- National Lamington Day (an Australian cake made from squares of butter cake or sponge cake coated with chocolate sauce and rolled in desiccated coconut).
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As such, I have decided to declare today National Brand Health Day and make the Seven Stages of Brand Grief its manifesto.
1. SHOCK: numbed disbelief, as the natural defense mechanism against overwhelming evidence, at seeing that the intended Brand hasn't materialized in the marketplace.
2. DENIAL: the attempt to reject the painful reality by looking at any and all possible positive indicators to shield oneself from the weight of the brand's failures.
3. ANGER: frustration and outbursts directed at the situation, others, or oneself, stemming from helplessness are in fact utterly absent and/or skipped in Branding, because business people (and many marketers) are unemotional and intent on quickly getting to step 4.
4. BARGAINING: 'what if' scenarios in a desperate attempt to regain control or reverse the outcome is the norm in Branding, with business people (and many marketers) over-rationalizing the obvious causes and justifying the results toward adjusting differentiation and distinctiveness and a million other things (as opposed to simply asking: "first and foremost, does The Brand have depth of meaning?").
5. DEPRESSION: a deep sense of sadness, emptiness, and isolation as the reality of the loss sets in is absolutely never the case in Branding because Self-Awareness and the Assumption of Responsibility are in very short supply in the business/marketing/branding professions.
6. ACCEPTANCE: in Branding, the ability to come to terms with reality and learning to move forward is just a fleeting bridge between 5 and 7.
7. TEST/RECONSTRUCTION: new strategies and business/marketing/AI solutions are king, and usually happen milliseconds upon completing Stage 1. They involves either a realistic and constructive look at Brand and its shortcomings (see # 8) plus corrective measures or - and quite frequently proposing to the client a 'rebrand' and new brand & performance marketing campaigns, all of which are always at the ready.
And I'd add one more step:
8. ACTION: let the Masterbranded approach come to the rescue - for assessing 2, asking the right questions in 4 and providing the answers, and doing 7 the Right Way.
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See you on July 21 2027, and check where we’ll be.