07/28/2022
What is Retail Brandsformation?
Athleisure, brunch, spork, sitcom, email, brandsformation. What do all these words have in common? Each is an example of a portmanteau, described as a term that blends two words and their definitions together. Other than being quite catchy, “brandsformation” is the combination of “brand” and “transformation” and essentially means reimagining various aspects of an organization: supply chain, technology, and/or marketing. Organization reimagining can transform businesses to help serve customers, drive sales, and create impact. The scope of brandsformation is not limited to the brand or logo of a company; it includes the entire entity.
Due to the ever-evolving retail industry, it is fairly common for a retailer to hit a point in its existence that a brandsformation is necessary to remain relevant with consumers and competitive within the market. The retail industry experiences significant natural growth over time and throughout various times of each year. Retail organizations must adapt to the constant natural growth of the industry but also proactively recognize when a strategic shift is needed. This proactive strategic shift doesn’t only take place in corporate headquarters – elite athletes have been successfully pivoting for years. Let’s take a look at a kid who grew up in Wisconsin loving football and see what lessons we can learn from his decision to change positions.
Calling an Audible to Lead a Brandsformation
J.J. Watt began his college football career as a tight end at Central Michigan and quickly realized that he needed to make a change if he wanted to continue playing the game he loved. There is a shift players experience when transitioning from high school to college football – including the pace of game, intensity of practice, and size and speed of players – but J.J. was able to recognize that he wasn’t naturally going to develop into a draft-ready tight end. After moving back home during summer break, J.J. rethought his strategy and, with encouragement from his coaches, decided to transfer to the University of Wisconsin and play football as a walk-on defensive end. From an average high school recruit to an 11th overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, J.J. Watt continues to be a defensive powerhouse today. This three-time Defensive Player of the Year took advantage of his natural growth, but also acknowledged that a shift was necessary to excel.
Sports are not the only place for transformations. Transformations occur when significant changes are made to a game plan. The key to strategically shifting is creating a thoughtful plan that guides and propels the brandsformation. Just as a playbook is leveraged in preparation for and throughout a football game, a roadmap can be utilized to outline the necessary plays an organization should take to strategically evolve and lead a winning brandsformation.
Redefining the Playbook for a Retail Environment
Roadmaps are similar to playbooks in that they ensure team alignment and improve communication across the team. When alignment is achieved and communication is consistent, goals are attained, support amongst team members is fostered, and organizational growth is generated.
Here are some questions to consider when building your brandsformation playbook:
- Is our product or service still meeting a relevant need in the marketplace?
- How are our consumers evolving over time, and how can we accommodate them?
- Are there additional consumers that we can target and who can benefit from our product or service?
- What processes could be improved, e.g., strategic sourcing, inventory management, distribution management?
- What technologies could enhance our customers’ sales experiences and positively impact our employees’ productivity?
- What data would help inform and reassure leadership decisions?
- What pain points are we currently experiencing or anticipating to experience?
A Winning Brandsformation
Whether you are a retailer that is currently experiencing a need for change, realizing a transformation may be in your future, or unsure where to start, reach out to us using the form below! No matter how large or small of a retailer you may be, we are here to help. Together, we will guide you through this brandsformation that will set you on the path of success, just as a strategic shift transformed J.J. Watt’s career.
