The Secret to Brand Growth: How did the Bigger Brands get Big ?

In the world of business, one question keeps popping up: how did the big brands get so big? As a brand owner, you might find yourself pondering this mystery, especially if you’re running a smaller operation. The answer, it turns out, is not as complex as you might think. It’s about scaling and investment.

The Power of Scaling

Big brands didn’t start big. They started small, just like you. But they understood a crucial principle: to get big, you need to scale.

Here’s how it works: these brands first focused on dominating smaller market segments. They built a strong presence, a loyal customer base, and a reputation for quality in these niche areas. Then, they used this as a springboard to scale up to bigger market segments.

It’s a process of repetition: succeed small, then go big. Succeed bigger, then go even bigger. It’s a cycle of growth that, when executed well, can take a brand from a local player to a global powerhouse.

The Necessity of Investment

But scaling isn’t just about ambition. It’s also about investment. Big brands got big because they were willing to put their money where their mouth was.

They invested in failure, learning from their mistakes. They invested in success, doubling down on what worked. They spent money on marketing, on product development, on customer experience. In short, they invested behind their brands.

This is where many small and medium-sized businesses falter. They have the potential, they have the ambition, but they’re nervous about spending. They see branding as a cost, not an investment.

Getting in the Ring

If you want your brand to grow, you need to think like a boxer stepping into the ring for the first time. It’s scary, it’s uncertain, but it’s necessary.

You need to feel the fear and do it anyway. Yes, your heart might be pounding. Yes, your hands might be cold. But once you get started, everything will fall into motion. You’ll adjust, you’ll find your rhythm, and you might even surprise yourself with how well you do.

The Zone of Brand Growth

As you continue to invest in your brand, you’ll find yourself getting into a zone. Branding will no longer feel like a chore or a risk, but an exciting challenge. You’ll start to see the results of your efforts, and that will fuel you to keep going.

Sure, there will be bruises along the way. There will be lessons to learn and mistakes to reflect on. But that’s all part of the process. That’s how you improve. That’s how your brand becomes stronger.

The Importance of Salience

As your brand grows, you’ll start to understand the importance of brand salience. This is about being prominent, conspicuous, and projecting outwards. It’s about being everywhere your customers are.

Big brands achieve salience through a combination of big budgets and smart media deployment. They make sure their message is clear and compelling, and that it’s reaching the right people in the right places.

Embracing a New Approach to Brand Growth

To truly excel in brand growth, it’s essential to adopt a new mindset. You need to transition from a strategy of cautious, incremental growth to one of bold, accelerated expansion.

This change involves embracing a more aggressive investment strategy in your brand, even if it initially feels risky. It means stepping out of your comfort zone to scale operations, broaden market reach, and explore new market segments, possibly even expanding into new geographical territories.

This approach is about shifting from playing it safe to playing to win. It redefines branding from being seen merely as an operational cost to being recognized as a vital investment in the future of your business. This mindset is crucial for any brand owner who aims to elevate their brand to the level of the major players in the industry.

Conclusion

So, how did the big brands get big? They scaled, and they invested. They were bold, they were strategic, and they were relentless.

If you want your brand to follow in their footsteps, you need to do the same. You need to get in the ring, even if it’s scary. You need to invest in your brand, even if it feels risky. And you need to keep scaling, keep growing, keep pushing forward.

It’s not easy, but it’s the path to brand greatness. Are you ready to take the first step?