Dreams
You need believers in your value chain. When engaging potential suppliers, many won’t get it. Sure, they’ll book a meeting with you and discuss supplying their widget. But invariably, ‘Joe Salary’ will find a reason to shut you out. Maybe with a minimum order or a credit history you wont have. You’re not going to help him make his budget this year. He doesn’t care, he doesn’t have to.
Dreams are hard to sell. That’s because so many people have had theirs stolen.
You want a short cut?
It’s much easy to build a value chain with suppliers who were you, 20 years ago. Entrepreneurs that had a dream, and got it up. They will take you seriously. They live in family run firms and SME’s. If you dig deep in the supply chain, they’re out there.
911
Is 911 a brand?
Sure it is. As soon as I mentioned it you had a bundle of attributes, images, prejudices, and memories fly into your mind. You probably remember where you were the second you found out about it. You know what it represents both to the producer and the target. (victims)
The 911 brand has massive awareness. You don’t get launches much bigger. It dominated the airwaves for 2 weeks with unpaid media. This is exactly what 911 was. It was a launch. Albeit of a terrorist cell.
But what does 911 mean to you and me? It means fear. What does fear do? It builds prejudice. Isn’t this what marginalised minoroties are fighting against?
When you launch, be clear with your message and what that builds. Once a brand takes meaning in the mind it is very hard to change.
