There’s brilliance in simplicity: the rule of one, two or three

It’s a complicated world. There’s a lot at stake. And the last thing a brand needs is an overly convoluted positioning idea. Let’s be honest, complexity is so yesterday. Today’s new brilliant is simplicity. That’s what a brand needs to win.

But why’s being simple, so brilliant?

It’s because in an undifferentiated world, being clear about what you stand for is how you get to own something – get talked about and become ultimately engaged.

Seriously, if you can’t boil down the brand idea into a word or two, then perhaps you don’t really have a strategy.

Think about this way. If you can’t clearly tell a brand story and translate it into a single-minded POV – then how do you expect creative teams to develop work? And what do you expect a consumer to take away from a brand message when you’re asking them to remember five things? These days, no one has the time or the patience for an over-intellectualized and complex definition of strategy. Complexity breeds vagueness, uncertainty, and ambiguity. Simplicity provides clarity, direction and focus.

It makes you wonder as to why every brand doesn’t have a clear articulation of strategy? Why expend the energy to develop a lavishly long positioning idea from the school of peculiarly-penciled- prose that no one understands?

That’s because it’s increasingly hard to be single-minded. It’s really challenging to connect all the dimensions and moving parts of a brand – and to make it all add up to one thing. And it’s a mind twister to find the one-or-two magically unique words that viscerally define the brand.

But yet, some brands have figured it out. BMW stands for “performance.” McDonald’s owns “lovin’ it.” And among our clients for example, Four Seasons is about “perfection.”

So it begs the question, how do you get to a powerful brand idea?

Put simply, it can only happen with a compelling consumer insight and a clear understanding of the brand DNA. That’s where the brilliance lies. That’s how a brand can win today. And getting to that core brand idea doesn’t have to be rocket science.

It can be as easy as the The Rule of One, Two, or Three.

Rule One:
What’s the one word that defines the promise of your brand? If you nail it, stop here.

Rule Two:
If you can’t get it in one word, are there two words that powerfully summarize the brand story. Got it? You’re done, if not, onto the next step

Rule Three:
Can three words sum up the motivations of why the consumer seeks out the brand? Yes – bravo. If no – strike out, game over. Go back to the batting cage – and ask yourself what’s the insight and the brand DNA.

Admittedly, it takes a bit of practice to get it right. But when you do get in right, then watch out, the results can be significant. And then perhaps, at your next strategic at bat you might just inspire creative that hits it right out of the park.

Now, wouldn’t that be simply brilliant?