The Flywheel Approach

 

Optimizing communications with a holistic strategy.

The good news: 

  • In this day and age, there are more opportunities than ever for creativity, conversation, distributing your message and building your brand.

The bad news:

  • We have never been more distracted. There is more to manage, attention is splintered and if you fail to apply strict brand/message discipline, you risk confusing or losing your audience.

In our multichannel, multiplatform world, there is no silver bullet anymore. No single tactic can carry the day. You need a brand manager, and strategy, that considers the whole picture.

Instead, we recommend a flywheel approach. Imagine a wheel with various comms channels—news, social, website, email, active SEO, internal comms, executive comms, podcasts/webinars, events— around its circumference. This is your communications apparatus.

You must align your chosen channels and give thoughtful energy to each one concurrently to turn the wheel and realize maximum brand momentum. 

Like a physical flywheel, once your apparatus starts turning, momentum compounds, the process becomes more efficient and you will have stored energy (brand equity) for slower seasons. 

Inertia is a powerful force.

For a deeper dive into this effect, read Jim Collins’ concept overview from Good to Great.

 
Rob Forrester