Today (and maybe today only) let's think of a business like an amoeba. For those who no longer remember their 8th grade biology, an amoeba is a single-celled microbe that moves about by extending fingerlike projections called pseudopods and are controlled by a nucleus. They are either free-living in damp environments or they are parasites. While the essential nucleus of the cell remains fixed and protected, the pseudopods extend and contract in response to changes in the environments, both internal and external.
There’s some confusion and competition in, around, and amongst the semantic soup of selling strategic services to SaaS start-ups. The debate/confusion comes from either the precise role, the exact application the applied order, and/or the holistic value of the service, with each expert advocating that their specialty is the ultimate silver bullet solution. Do you need product positioning, a strategic narrative, category design, messaging, or…brand strategy?
Yes.
Our perspective is (and our experience proves) that the higher you can get in the head and heart of the organization, the more applicable the solution is in how it cascades down into the entire organization and eventually the market, with proper stewardship. While solving a specific pain point within the organization has value, it fails to holistically address larger issues that may be upstream of the pain point.
So, what does that mean?
We like to look at it through the lens of what is fixed and what is fluid, and how each of those inform and impact the others. What are the interdependent dynamics?
Today (and maybe today only) let's think of a business like an amoeba. For those who no longer remember their 8th grade biology, an amoeba is a single-celled microbe that moves about by extending fingerlike projections called pseudopods and are controlled by a nucleus. They are either free-living in damp environments or they are parasites. While the essential nucleus of the cell remains fixed and protected, the pseudopods extend and contract in response to changes in the environments, both internal and external.
In our business-as-amoeba analogy, The environment in which the business lives includes:
- Cultural context
- Customer context
- Industry context
- Competitor Context
Because the environment is fluid, your pseudopods need to be agile and able to respond to changing conditions, as well. The pseudopods capture signals from the environment and make decisions about what to do with them to perform the correct action in order to guide, propel, and orient the organization for success. They include:
- Product development
- Product positioning
- Sales
- Customer Success
- Advertising
- The ICP (quick aside to note that ICP also stands for Insane Clown Posse, which is not entirely inappropriate association)
The nucleus is brand strategy. Brand strategy is fixed. It provides the organization with critical and consistent grounding and meaning. In our world, that includes:
- Big change in the world
- The problem you solve
- Brand Pillars
- Product Principles
- Corporate Culture
- Behaviors and Personality
- POV/Manifesto
The pseudopods are putting out feelers and receiving inputs and feedback from the environment distinct to their specialty. In return, they inform the nucleus about any subtle alterations that need to occur to maintain the health and well-being of the entire structure.In brand strategy, we call this the feedback loop.
It is a systematic opportunity for the arms of the organization to report back to the core on shifting environments and dynamics that may need to alter the orientation of the core. Feedback loops are essential to avoid stasis or, worse, lurching from crisis to crisis.
So, while your brand strategy nucleus remains relatively fixed, they are not static, and the organization’s pseudopods that extend out into the environment provide key context so the organization can adjust according to threats and opportunities.
Please enjoy,
-DRMG
In the world of B2B SaaS, the excitement of creating a new category must be tempered with the reality of clients' immediate needs. By balancing long-term vision with short-term solutions, companies can ensure their category strategy supports, rather than hinders, their sales efforts. This approach not only helps in closing deals but also builds a foundation for sustained success in the new category, enhancing SaaS positioning effectively.
Read More →Following the launch of the Spatial Computing category, Personal Intelligence System is the second recent example of Apple embracing and crushing category strategy.
Read More →Schedule an in-person clinic on DRMG's Category Strategy.
We'll send you a calendar link with available times.