🧠 You need to INSPIRE INNOVATION

Hey there, 

Welcome back to the 45th edition of Brandish, 

Your guide to crafting an iconic brand. 

This week we’re talking about something a little unconventional, 

Dare I say - frowned upon by the ‘old heads’  of business. 

(I made that part up) 

But seriously, what we’re talking about today is more of a recent development in the world of business, 

But absolutely imperative for any business that wants to get 10 steps ahead of their competition. 

So without further ado, 

Kick back, 

Grab your Brez, 

And let’s dive in. 

Out with the old, in with the new

Creative leadership dynamics are changing. 

ESPECIALLY in the last 10 years or so. 

For most of eternity, creative leaders weren’t looked at as people who deserved a spot at the round table of business, 

Or C-suite, for those who didn’t get the reference. 

It was traditionally those with backgrounds in operations, finance, marketing (which is also fairly recent), etc. etc. 

But within the last 10ish years, the number of creatives - like brand experts - with a spot at the table has gone up exponentially. 

I may be biased, but this is an incredible development. 

You need to have someone calling the shots who thinks with that creative side of the brain if you want to truly stand out and innovate within your area of business. 

Especially in a world where most brands sell products in highly competitive markets, and you NEED something that truly innovates in order to stand out. 

And no hate to the technical executives (love u Ron) but that kind of innovation? 

It almost always comes from the creatives. 

Before we get any further - I want to take a quick sec to shoutout our featured sponsor this week:

Tool of the Week

Just because I like giving away free sauce…

Here’s something we’ve added to our checkout strategy that’s done 2 things: 

• Unlocked a new revenue stream

• Increased our overall profit & AOV at Obvi exponentially in just a few months

How, you might ask? 

It’s simple - Tailored, carefully placed post-purchase network offers & upsells with AfterSell.

And if you’re not already aware, Aftersell’s Network Offers allows merchants (us) to create a new revenue stream at NO COST by showcasing premium offers from brands like Disney+, HelloFresh, Venmo, etc. 

Each time a customer clicks “yes please” on these offers, you earn a profit.

But - these offers aren’t thrown out at random. AfterSell focuses on serving hyper-personalized and relevant offers to YOUR audience,

And they’re carefully placed on your confirmation page (which is often the most underutilized page in your post-purchase funnel. 

But… Even in 2024, e-com brands are divided on the importance of leveraging network offer strategies in their marketing efforts.

How can you be sure that it will actually drive results? 

The numbers don’t lie.

Most brands don’t even realize that they can earn additional profit on autopilot from their confirmation page - AFTER a customer has already completed their purchase with you.

And they are  7 TIMES more likely to engage with an ad/offer after they’ve already made a purchase 

And with Network Offers by AfterSell, we’re able to do this easily, efficiently, and…

You guessed it - PROFITABLY. 

They leverage billions of data points and transactions to ensure that the offer your customer sees is hyper-relevant and tailored specifically to them, providing:

• More value to your customers

• A simple, no-cost revenue stream to your business

What AfterSell is doing ‘almost’ sounds too good to be true, 

But I promise you. It’s not. 

If you’re interested in learning more, head over to their website HERE to see what I mean. 

Alright, back to today’s topic 👇

INSPIRE INNOVATION (& create long-term value)

Like I was just saying, having someone at the head of your creative process is 🔑 to inspiring consistent innovation. 

But from a broader view, this is known more as ‘long-term value creation”.

It’s not something that gives you immediate financial gains, 

But if you talk to any founder who has exited companies or been wildly successful in general, they will all tell you the same thing:

Creating sustainable, long-term value is absolutely essential for building a profitable brand. 

This is done through continuously creating consistent branding and driving innovation, 

And as long as there’s a creative at the helm to guide this - in 5, 10, 15 years, when you DO cross the finish line, you’ll notice that you’ve created something incredible within your branding systems and culture.

And, you know - by being within that C-suite you’ll inspire the rest of the team to think creatively and take more calculated risks that REALLY drive innovation and progress. 

Without that, almost everyone can get stuck in the “point A to point B” mindset - which works in some departments, but it’s not effective as a whole. 

It’s time we go deeper. 

Now that I’ve established how important this is, let’s look more into HOW they (i.e. you) can drive innovation throughout their brand. 

Breaking Down The Silos

‘Old school’ corporate structures often lead to different departments working in isolation.

Any guesses as to what that leads to?

Ding ding ding - stifled innovation and slower progress. 

So, it’s the creatives' job to: 

• Encourage Cross-Functional Teams: This leads to more innovative solutions and a more cohesive organizational culture.

• Open Communication Channels: Prioritize open communication channels across all levels of the organization. This transparency builds trust AND ensures that valuable insights from all team members are heard and guided in the same direction.

While everyone is focused on what they can do TODAY - it’s your job to focus on the future from a creative perspective. 

How can you further solidify your branding vision & culture?

What do you need professionally to help you get there?

How can you foster that idea and vision in every member of your team?

This is what I mentioned earlier about getting the other executives on the same page with your vision to think MORE creatively,

And take more calculated risks to help you get there. 

There is always a much bigger story within the numbers. It’s your job to shine a light on it. 

Wrapping up 

Before I let you go enjoy the rest of your Sunday, I want to make one thing clear. 

There is no ‘thinking outside the box’ here. The box doesn’t exist. 

And it is YOUR JOB to make sure your team believes that. 

There are no boundaries to what you can do creatively

(Other than, you know - moral & legal boundaries. Don’t be weird.)

As the creative leader, it’s your job to push your brand farther and higher than would’ve been possible without you - so if you take anything away from this…

Innovate, innovate, innovate. 

Never stop finding new ways to set yourself and your brand apart and you’ll be just fine. 

I hope you enjoyed this week’s newsletter, and I hope that I helped you open your eyes to new perspectives and ideas!

And if you don’t feel like waiting until next week for more expert branding insights, follow my socials below:

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Until next time, 

Ankit