Every creative business exists as a function of time. Trends, technology, demand, fashion and economic realities are always changing and evolving. Your business model may, in fact, exist only because of such a new reality. Umm, the Internet is really only fifteen years old and its universality far less than that. Let’s not talk about digital photography, C.A.D. and other technological advances that have revolutionized the way most creative businesses produce their work.
However, please do not mistake the world we live in and the new new thing (i.e., Twitter) for what is necessary for the long-term success of your business. The strength of your art and your brand as well as the way you manage your clients will matter far more than if you are a social media master or have the most advanced technology out there. You only need to look at Zappos.com or The Flip to understand what I am saying. In case you don’t know, Flip was sold earlier this year to Cisco for $590 million and Zappos to Amazon last week for $900 million. At first blush, both the Flip and Zappos look fresh and new to the market. They’re not. Zappos sells shoes online, just like hundreds of other sites (including Amazon). The Flip’s technology isn’t all that much better than most cell phone video cameras. The reason these businesses work is because of their fundamentals. They know who they are (and who they are not) and they deliver that message across all areas of their businesses — particularly in marketing and customer service. They have created Tribes of customers that each become brand ambassadors instead of merely happy customers. With brand ambassadors instead of happy customers, growth becomes exponential.
For those of you who think I am too far afield from creative business, I ask only this: How much time have you spent working on your blog in the last month as compared to honing your brand statement?Have you looked to see if and how your message is being delivered in all aspects of your business? Even more important, have you looked for how you might be contradicting yourself to your customer (i.e., are you a planner or designer, decorator or interior designer, graphic designer or stationer)? You can’t create brand ambassadors unless clients know what they are cheering for. Yes, it starts with your art, but it ends with clients understanding and embodying your intention behind the art. That intention is your brand and should pervade every aspect of your creative business.
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So true! Sometimes we get caught up with the ever-changing technology applications to promote our business and forget to base the fundamentals that will traspass all this once Social Media comes up with something better.
Thank you for this one Sean. It reinforces what I have been leading my employees to do. I am actually going to read it in our team meeting this morning. I agree, that branding is so important, but it only seems to explode when you are passionate about and consistent with, your art. I believe that my employees are the core of my tribe. If they aren’t passionate about my art, then how can they genuinely reach out to potential new tribe members? Inspiring them, nearly daily, challenges me and keeps me inspired-it also keeps the movement fresh/strong. I am glad, I have a place (like this) to come and get inspired as well.
I see people get wrapped up daily in putting messages out there – especially on the internet – that might not match the message they want clients to think about them. It is an interesting thing to watch, and this just drives it home.
What is key in both the Zappos and the Flip examples is that both companies went after doing one thing simply and doing it very, very well. I could find shoes at the mall for less than Zappos, but shopping online with them was always pleasant, they had what I needed in stock, and their return policy was fantastic. Then on top of that, they chose to engage with the customers too, all the while creating ambassadors for the company. All with a singular focus.
I personally go back & forth with this – I have a studio space in a neighborhood, so part of me wants to not set too narrow of a focus – but then I keep coming back to doing one thing and doing it well. Well, two things in my case. (Weddings + Boudoir – related but not everyone does both.) I think in the long run, it is the best thing to do . You can’t successfully be all things to all people!
I’m struggling with the same thing as Christine. I’m an interior designer who can do it all and have always made that clear. But, what I REALLY want to do is to design small to midsized company spaces to reflect their identity. I know this is where I shine, but the path to getting there seems really long! You can’t do interior design online really. I guess you just don’t turn anyone down until you can and then you only accept jobs that you will love doing because if you are having fun and developing a strong relationship with your client, happiness follows.