Nurturing a brand: Lessons from motherhood

There is something that is emotionally moving, when you feel the first stirrings of life and imagine the creation of a new entity. Mothers will relate to the experience of going through the different phases of pregnancy and then waiting for the moment when the life you have created comes into being. You then hold this little independent being in your arms and are overwhelmed by the love and protectiveness you feel for it, along with a sense of responsibility to nurture it so that it grows into something wonderful.

I am a mother and have often felt this responsibility weigh heavily on my shoulders, after all, even if these diminutive people have their own unique characters and independent spirit, I am still responsible for inculcating the right values in them and ensuring that I provide them with the right guidance to enable them to grow into functional adults – whom I can be proud of.

As a brand consultant I find that in a broader perspective I face the same issues that I do as bringing up my children. Here too, I am the one planning the brand’s growth and guiding the direction the brand should take vis-à-vis the target market and the competition we are looking at. One would assume that building and managing brands is fairly structured and scientific, but it isn’t. Planning a brand’s destiny involves being prepared for roadblocks and U-turns and the occasional crisis.

Raising kids and raising brands, has been a pretty ‘hair-raising’ experience. This is what I have learnt from my experiences where I am able to draw parallels between the two:

Vision: Things grow organically, but that also means that they grow wild like weeds and may just wither. You need to have the commitment and a steady eye on the horizon to steer your kids or a brand in the right direction. Just like you have a plan of action charted out for your kids in your head, a brand’s destiny lies completely in how you plan its course well ahead.

Nurture and care: Whether it’s kids or brands they need your time, attention and nurturing to grow. Don’t expect them to manage on their own, else they will flounder. Mothers know that when kids become very quiet is when they are up to some mischief, the same way be wary of the times when a brand seems to be on a roll and has reached a stage of autopilot, be ready for a sudden curve ball. Don’t let your guard down, like a mother; you have to be on the job 24x7. Constantly igniting the excitement in the day- to-day, finding newer things to keep your audience engaged, being creative and current is what is the constant need for both.

Don’t fall for the me too trap: These days it’s easy to worry that you aren’t doing enough for your kids – there are helicopter moms who have a weekly schedule for their four-year olds and are booking their kids into music, arts, sports and academic-related classes. It’s easy to get into the herd mentality, but being a savvy mother and brand consultant means knowing the pulse of your child and brand and not being drawn into the me too mindset. Every child and brand is unique and needs one to recognise and optimise on their strengths. Just because the competition is doing it, doesn’t mean it’s right for you too.

Be ready for change: There are no constants in life and that could not be truer of raising kids as well as brands. With market conditions and technology changing at a break neck speed one has to be ready to access, tweak and adjust strategy.

Learn to let go: Let’s admit it, mothers are possessive, we find it difficult to let go of our kids no matter how old they get or how proficient they are in managing their own affairs. I seem to have the same possessive and protective feeling towards the brands I have shaped and nurtured and set up to become a success in the world. But at some point one has to let go and distance emotionally, at the same time making them aware that you are always there in times of need.

The author is founder and managing director, Jigsaw Brand Consultants.