Reilly Newman | In the world of business, there is a large audience who push “passive income” — initial investments to set up a source of perpetual, self-generating income — so much so that this mindset has become a prominent topic within business and financial spheres.
Although passive income may be achievable on a financial level, the fallacy we see is that this mindset is all too often being applied to businesses’ brands.
This “passive” mindset is very much focused on getting a business or funnel to a “cruising altitude” level where then, once achieved, you can set up your hammock on a beach in Cancún with your favorite book and drink to live happily ever after.
Sounds appealing for most. But it also sounds very detached in nature. This is precisely why “passivity” can have benefits of on-going “dripping” of attention or financial reward, however a passive, non-emotional approach to a brand will be the demise of anything you have built so far.
This simply comes down to the fact that having a brand-centric mindset is completely opposite of being passive. There are zero shortcuts to building a lasting, connected brand, and there are zero breaks to sit on a beach.
But why exactly is building a brand so much more involved than building a business? The hands-on approach to crafting a brand is necessary due to the nature to which a brand is properly constructed. Unlike a tangible product, a “brand” is not tangible. But rather a perpetually moving and evolving thought based on the experiences and associations of the business.
Just as anyone can make a tangible product (app, service, etc.), not just anyone can instantly create a “brand” from nothing. But overtime, the brand equity is built brick by brick, experience by experience; one consumer at a time. Does this sound passive to you?
To look at it fundamentally, your business model and goals are more of a stationary target. While “brand” is much more of a moving target. Always changing, always looking for an edge, and should always be playing offense rather than defense.
Now some will say that once a brand is large enough, it becomes passive. This notion is incorrect.
A brand is like the locomotive (engine) of a train. The size of the engine, the type/amount of fuel, size/amount of cars, etc. all are taken into account for the engine to build up the proper force to even begin to build momentum to start rolling. The amount of force needed to start to build momentum is completely dependent on the business factors at play (the size/amount and type of cars attached).
Just as a train is constantly fighting gravity due to the sheer mass and weight of the vehicle, a brand is constantly having to fight the gravity of the business model, market demand, economic pressures, market trends, etc.
If the locomotive is passive, the train will obviously come to a full halt as the momentum winds down. To avoid this, the engineer needs to continue to shovel coal into the furnace, monitor the speed around turns, and be on the lookout for obstacles or hazards that might be on the tracks.
The fuel for keeping things rolling is creating impactful brand experiences. This is done by perpetually refining the brand through strategy, positioning, messaging, and connecting deeper with your audience.
A passive brand is a stagnant brand that will eventually lose all steam. A successful brand is one that pushes through the uphill climbs and continually builds momentum fully knowing that this is a marathon, not a sprint.
