From confrontation to invitation: how brands can be bold in a polarised world

Yesterday, I was having a conversation with a purpose-led founder. She had seen my 4B Brand Model – Big, Bold, Brave and Beloved  (see previous article here) – and was asking me if I thought she should “fight” for her idea to become mainstream.

At first, I was somewhat perplexed by her question, but then I realized where her mind had gone. To be bold, she thought she had to confront those who did not agree with her beliefs.

So, I want to share my thoughts with you on this crucial shift: from confrontation to invitation.

Boldness is for the believers

Being bold is about taking a stand for what you believe in and lovingly inviting those who believe the same to join you on your journey.

It is not about fighting. That requires negative energy and will only end up in the same push and hustle mentality that we are trying to move away from with our marketing.

If we truly want to have a positive impact in the world, the only way to achieve that is to start by connecting with, and nurturing, those who believe what you believe.

In the polarised and diverse world that we live in, you are never going to convince everyone.

And that’s ok!

We need to get comfortable with the fact that movements follow the same laws as the innovation adoption curve and that not everyone will be ready to hop on!

Even today, not everyone agrees with the way Patagonia runs its business, not everyone buys Apple, but their ideas have become mainstream and impacted their industries irrevocably.

Starting a movement

It is the core believers (“the innovators”) that will be with you from the beginning. Even if your idea or brand is not fully fleshed out, they will support you, give you insights and ideas along the way. Nurture them. Love them. And get them talking about your brand.

Because if you give them an opportunity to become part of your brand’s story, then they will invite others who believe in your purpose to join in as well. And you start moving along the innovation curve. Your tribe (early adopters) has found you.

The more your nurture your tribe and help them to feel like they belong to something that is bigger than the brand, the more they will talk about your brand. Slowly but surely, you will hit the tipping point over to mass when your idea starts to become mainstream.  More competitors start entering the market. You have built a large community (the early majority).

And here again, the same shift arises: it is not about fighting against your competitors. It is about lovingly inviting those who believe the same as you do to join you on the journey and contribute to your purpose.

Because ultimately, if you are doing what you do to make a positive change in the world, then anyone who wants to contribute to your purpose becomes a friend, an ally, not a competitor.

The conversation about “the fight” came from an example I had shared: Tony’s Chocolonely’s. My founder thought that they were fighting with the big chocolate giants. But in reality, they are doing quite the opposite. They are challenging the status quo and actively seeking partners who are interested in applying their model, aiming to impact and move the entire industry out of child slavery.

The innovation adoption curve

From confrontation to invitation

So you see, being bold is about voicing, and acting on, what you believe in, not because you want to antagonize and create more friction in the world, but because you want to rally those who believe the same as you do.

And with every believer, your movement grows, your brand grows, and your impact in the world grows. That’s how you make a positive difference in the world. Not by confronting those who don’t believe, but by inviting those who do to join you on your journey.