A key component in any brand strategy effort is consensus among the brand’s leadership team. Without it, the risk of failure increases if full support for the strategy is lost later on.
On a recent trip to Boston, I was working with a client that had a number of stakeholders at odds with each other on several important issues the brand was facing. Knowing this going in, I opened the workshop with a story I heard several years ago about advertising legend Bill Bernbach. In times when opposing views stand in the way of optimal outcomes, maybe his approach will help you as it did me.
Bill kept a small piece of paper in the breast pocket of his jacket. When he was in the middle of a meeting with a client who had an opposite point of view to his, he would pull out this piece of paper and read it to himself. On the piece of paper were three words: “Maybe he’s right.”
Bill’s wisdom and these three words helped the team unite and achieve consensus that day. I have found this a valuable reminder that in our professional and personal lives it’s wise to take a moment and remember those words when viewpoints clash.
“Maybe he’s right.” (or maybe ‘she’s right.)
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