Conductor of the business essence
Pic: Conductor Klaus Mäkelä (photographed by Heikki Tuuli),
Brand management can be a complex issue. Yet, when a brand is managed well, it brings clarity and simplifies the business operations.
Similar to an orchestra conductor, a strategic brand manager brings the ensemble, consisting of all functions, coworkers, internal and external partners, to play the symphony in a perfect harmony.
Like a conductor knows the scores of a symphony, a manager needs to know and understand the composition of the business: the clients (past, current and potential), their needs and fears, the future insights, the cost structure, and the hidden and visible dynamics of the industry.
But knowing is not enough. A composer of a symphony is not necessarily the best conductor of it. Success is also a result of the unique interpretation:
It is about managing the tempo: When to speed ahead, when to slow down.
It is about interpreting the nuances: How the little details, especially the ones visible for the client, are taken care of.
It is about understanding the ensemble: how to best manage the team and convey the dynamics of individual team members.
And before taking any action, before playing the very first note, a brand manager, just like a conductor, must have a clear vision of the outcome, which is based on the knowledge and intuition gained through experience.
A clear brand essence helps to navigate through complex market environment.
Strategic brand manager is the guardian of the core, of the brand’s essence, the existence and purpose of the business. She or he is the one, who has to simplify, see the big picture and have gut to say ”no” when needed to keep the essence consistant.
This task is the responsibility of the top management.
Who holds the title in your company?
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Pic: Klaus Mäkelä (photographed by Heikki Tuuli), the young, incredibly talented conductor of today and the future. Mäkelä is Artistic Director of the Turku Music Festival in Finland, Chief Conductor and Artistic Advisor Designate of the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra (2020/21), Principal Guest Conductor of the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, and Artist in Association with Tapiola Sinfonietta.
Anna Lundén is an expert in customer-centric business with vast experience in both B2B and B2C environments, specializing in premium business management. Although her roots are in the family business, she was professionally brought up in multinational corporations, such as EY, Nestlé, Nutricia, Cloetta and L’Oréal.
Through her wide-ranging background Anna Lundén is able to support entrepreneurs and executives in their quest to define their business’s position in the marketplace, both today and in the future.
Read more: Anna Lundén www.annalunden.fi in English
Follow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/anna_lunden