Nothing stands still in the "always-on" world. Nothing.

From the relentless rise of digital upstarts to the humbling of once-mighty corporations, it's all in flux and up for grabs, all the time. So when it comes to managing the external veneer and internal essence of your business — your brand — you need to invest not just to get ahead, but to keep pace with the traffic around you.

Now don't get me wrong. I'm a huge fan of — and passionate believer in — "connected brands", by which I mean brands that are relevant, engaged and joined-up across all the "touchpoints", from experiential to digital.

But I fear that, in this new world that never sleeps, where brands are expected to be alert and alive round the clock, it's no longer enough just to be connected. Ouch.

Keeping awake

Because this is a challenge that keeps some of my clients awake at night (or at least, it keeps me awake), we've done two key things at Rufus Leonard. The first is to appoint a dedicated Head of Innovation.

There's no fancy title needed (you won't find us talking about "Imagineering", for instance) but it does signify a critical evolution in our mindset: we expect innovation to be the norm, so we embrace the new and constantly challenge ourselves to look round the corner.

And we encourage our clients to do exactly the same. So far so good.

However, for brands, there's a shift even more fundamental in the air than the notion of change as a constant. In the good old days (that is, just a few years ago) it was possible to consider a brand identity (or a big brand idea, like Audi's "Vorsprung Durch Technik") as a relatively fixed entity, with a shelf-life to match.

The rising tide of consumer activism, comparison websites, 24x7 media and a news cycle endlessly in search of the next big thing seems to have diluted the power and longevity of the blockbusting "big idea". Big brand ideas battle for space, attention and adulation as never before amid the constant "chatter" all around us.

Now, a succession of smaller "big ideas" seems more suited to the mood of the times. And the attention span of a web-savvy audience.

Management

What does this mean for the brands you and I know and love? And, if you're a brand manager or marketer, what does it mean for keeping your market share and your job? Aha.

This brings me to the next key change we've made to the way we do what we do. At Rufus Leonard, we call it "Active Brand Management", and it shapes our approach to managing modern, connected brands in the "always on" world.

First, there's no such thing as a brand fixed for all time. Today, they need the TLC of a rare orchid. They need to be carefully monitored, fed, watered and lovingly tended.

Today's connected brands need a wholly more proactive approach to defining who they are, what they stand for, and where they're headed — relative to the constant flux in the market.

It's a different approach that demands a different mindset: more aware, more interventionist, more open to new ideas (and not necessarily always in line with yesterday's signed-off brand plans).

Sensible balance

Active brand management is always on and always engaged. It strikes a sensible balance between the need to plan for the longer term, while keeping an eye open for subtle (and not so subtle) shifts in the real world in the here-and-now.

It can help shape your brand in light of unfolding events, by being conscious of the world beyond your garden wall. And it keeps your need for "brand sparkle" and relevance front-of-mind.

For brands — and there are plenty — needing to get real, I have two words. Get active.

 

The writer is the CEO of Rufus Leonard, a brand and digital agency based in London and Dubai.