Recently, coming across a sit-down interview with Cole Buxton, there was an important topic that was expounded on that more creatives need to hear. The London based brand has a very strong following and is constantly innovating through their clothing brand 'Cole Buxton' (yes, that's the name of the fonder and the business) the article is not based on the London brand but on what Jonny Wilson (co-founder) says in a interview which was the importance in finding your own identity in anything you create and although some say mockery is flattering it gets old very quick.
Many brands miss the mark of creating a genuine style and identity within their brands because there is not enough emphasis and focus on Creative Direction. There can be up to a hundred different roles required to launch and maintain a brand, and although some roles are more important than others, they are still needed. One of the most important roles needed to sustain a long-lasting and successful brand is to have a creative director. Let's not confuse a creative director with someone who sees something cool on TV for the first time and decides to copy the same technique or the person who finds out something worked and now wants to constantly do the same thing until their audience begins to drift from the brand, I am speaking about a creative director who actually studies the market which the brand is based in, and figures out how to find it's own lane within saturation. A creative director should have references that relate to the brand and ones that don't while figuring out how to bring both worlds together to create something new. Referring back to the interview, Jonny shows the frustration he has for brands that simply copy trends and sells it to the people without any remorse.
Yes, it's a bit more risky, financially, and socially to go against the grain, and there will most likely be ups and downs and wins and losses with the process. Some creations may not actually be good, but it will be your own, and through time and consistency, you can polish areas to make them better. Real supporters love to go through the journey with a brand they just discovered; which speaks speaks to them on different levels. When you're in the beginning stages of building your brand or you are in the process of revamping a current brand you should always look for new blood to be introduced which will bring new ideas, and a new perspective to the brand.
Being sure to vet your creative directors as well as they too can not be the specific fit you need. Having a questionnaire list for potential creative director partners is very important; a list asking "how would you build/rebuild the brand," "what do you see wrong and what do you see right in the brand?," etc. A creative director does not have to just be one person. It can be a team who helps with the direction as well. Wrapping things up, the main focus of longevity is that the brand or business makes smart moves financially, has out of the box strategies, and has a strong brand identity.
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