Stephen Houraghan

When you realise how much of an education gap there is on this topic... and how much it impacts the effectiveness of marketing and ad spend, you can't help but be excited by the opportunity. It's hard to believe, but the term "brand" and the mechanics behind how effective brands are constructed are so widely misunderstood. The result? Brands with no direction, ads that don't work and marketing budgets wasted. This education gap represents both a challenge and an opportunity. On one hand, those in most need of a strategy, don't really understand it... one the other hand, when they do, they are in no doubt where their initial budget needs to go. Help to close the education gap, and there is no selling... enlightenment does it for you.

Embrace failure. Consider it a right of passage and acknowledge that you're going to make mistakes. "Life begins at the end of your comfort zone." If you don't feel butterflies from time to time then you're not growing and if you're not growing the imposter will catch up. The truth is, it never really goes away, but here's how you can make it quieter. Make a mini commitment on the edge of your comfort zone... then get it done. Then make another. One by one, your confidence grows and the imposter shrinks.

I learned this the hard way, which is the way most people learn it I'd imagine. If you don't sit down and think about these situations and how you would like them to unfold, you're likely to respond in a way you don't want to. First, document your boundaries in your contract which should include communication channels, times and notes on mutual respect at a minimum. When clients deviate outside the boundaries, you have your agreement to point towards. Never take things personally or become emotional. Remain diplomatic and accommodating, but ensure the integrity of the boundaries you set by sticking to them... they'll become your safety net and protector.

AI will have a big impact in the coming years. The key to an effective brand strategy is incisive questions. The key to getting the most power out of AI is incisive questions. The way AI learns and pattern matches, is the same way we build brands. We ask questions, uncover insights, find opportunities, then, with our findings, define the strategy. Giving AI what it needs to find these insights is the key and we'll see platforms like brandbuildr.ai become more prevalent

Very surprised that such a piece doesn't have "Audience Research" at the top. Maybe it's assumed, but we position for a specific group and nuggets of gold are found in deep understanding of these people. Another factor that is regularly overlooked is positioning beyond the product. These three categories/questions are where you'll find some of the most potent positioning insights. Brand Experience: How is our journey unique? Relevance: How/Why should our audience see us as more relevant? Personality: All things being equal (product / service / outcome), "pertinent & unshy" personalities influence buyers

Your feedback loops are everything. - Automate them - Make them easy - Give them room to expand if they want Take the time to reach out to clients who clearly love you for what you've given them. For the best testimonials with concrete results and metrics - create case studies. Interview them (on video if possible) and use your questions to guide their story including - where they were - the challenges they faced - what consequences they feared - and the experience they had - and the results they achieved - what life is like now Grow this library religiously. Then, decorate your customer journey with all your proof at different touchpoints