Rome wasn’t built in a day. And so are brands.

Life cycles have been getting compressed and technology often more than anything leads to this cumulative compression of time. Today to start up, boot up with legalities, structuring, access to business models and lessons, networking to put together teams, agile work practices, product and design sprints, digital outreach and marketing – they ensure that the business boots up in significantly less amount of time compared to the pre internet days.

Your newsfeeds constantly stream in news of businesses burst out in year 1, getting vested in Year 2 or 3 and scaling to the heavyweight class by Year 4. Unicorns sprout horns before unit economics and some of the traditional lessons of business as a practice get blipped as frenzy takes over. Some of these ventures go on to remake their industries. Many perish, unsung.

Opinions could be divided where short-term punters could argue in favour of a short sprint or burst utilising all energy to run fast over 100 meters and win glory with an exit or next round of funding. They run with the early stage business idea with agile tools and display marketing and try to engineer a rapid growth into a 10000 pound business often while burning cash and taking shelter under the hockey stick curve (who wouldn’t like an ATM spewing out oodles and oodles of cash not asked for at the push of a button?). Often the evaluation of the venture happens at the financial or product or the founder team front only. Many filters remain unchecked for later as speed matters.

But steroids as we all know have massive debilitating effects which will reveal themselves as the org. grows. While there are some breakthrough “funding” successes there are many who lose their way and the plot.

For all rapid short sprint businesses and adventures, one thing remains constant. It is still a business being built, not the brand as yet.

BRANDS ARE MORE THAN THE BUSINESS, PRODUCT OR THE FOUNDING TEAM.

Would you qualify a living being just as its bones and flesh? Certainly not. Building brands is organic, like giving life, growing it, nourishing it and making it incarnate often. More than the insignificant tangibles that many devolve it down to (most often logo or slogan or a website), it is about the significant intangibles.

Values, people, culture, the customer cult, user – business – personality appropriate design, the service & experience dimensions, relevant differentiators, reputation, communication, governanceand architecture in increasingly complex orgs. Many of these get sacrificed in the 100 m product and business sprints. Eventually they come back to haunt most, while the rest might not be bothered in-case they are building the business for quick exits.

This is compounded by misplaced advice or beliefs about short sprints, and not sweating for longer, sustainable endurance. Often swayed by snake-oil salesmen that a short and quick jugaad solution is the goal. Advice often coming from people who haven’t dipped their tongues in Gatorade, leave alone run the distance.

Brands rarely pivot, while ventures and businesses might (and there are caution points here too)

Brands unlike businesses can’t afford to pivot as there are a whole host of complexities that need to adapt and some that lie in the cultural, affinitive, cognitive, intangible quarters. Brand pivots are perceived as a shift in the promise, and shifting promises rarely ever get forgiven by customers.

SO ARE THE DAYS OF BRICKWORK OVER? NOT REALLY.

Seth Godin’s immortal definition of a brand, “a promise made over time” rings true, whether you are attempting a sprint and exit or you are attempting long distance and legacy for the business.

Investors, early stage founders and start up entrepreneurs would do well to pay heed to genuine brand development. They should practice running their business and brand through long distance runs along-with their teams to build and boost business immunity.

Long distance mentality and training helps build endurance, temperament, skills and health. And that also stands true for building conversation worthy, impactful brands. Most of the brands that come indelibly to your mind or show enduring lasting quality are those that have been built intelligently with method, creativity and perseverance. Over time.

While business and product engineering cycles could get shorter, it is dangerous if patience and vision are in short, impatient supply when it comes to brand building. In the world of business and ventures this could be fatal.

MANY DOUBTS ABOUND

• Should investors be concerned that their invested capital in start-ups and early stage firms might be missing out on brand development, while seeking scale?
• Does the obsession with quick bucks, steroid growth translate to impatience or apathy in building brands?
• Do brand, design, content and marketing heads in organisations look at their roles as a 2-3 year constituency?
• Is the vocal majority in start-up teams either ignorant or apathetic about designing and building a and its culture & esteem? Especially when the customer certainly votes for the latter.
• Do we see fewer and fewer examples of great brands being built as we go along? Which are the shining beacons that do it right?
• Is brand building being reduced to insta-marketing? What about quick off from a console email marketing or SMS mantra that promises the delivery of a marketing message down to the last micro segmented audience hiding in their drawing rooms, often trying to protect data privacy? Is digital marketing brand building? Unfortunately this is light years away from the truth for many.
• Do business owners and founders get the true value of brands as it should rightly be on a balance sheet? Or is this a preserve of organised corporations?

ARE THERE APPROACHES TO BRAND DESIGN AND BUILDING FOR AN AGILE AGE?

Yes, thankfully there are. Those that don’t recommend steroids or forget the fundamentals and the bricks, mortar and more.

It would do well for early stage firms, start-ups and founders (and even some middle-aged corporations trying to reinvent themselves) to pay heed to long distance brand training and development. And yes, you do need professionals who specialise in the entire gamut of brand development for this. Just being creative or having a feel for it isn’t enough. Bright, peppy posts and constant digital assaults don’t make a brand. After all your brand is a deep business first. It is about what it does and makes customers feel than what it says. And that takes a lot more work and preparation.

Good brand design and development clarifies your path and across multiple dimensions of your business in ways that you have been oblivious to. A systemic approach to developing brands ensures you groom a culture, grow reputation and don’t pivot often.

It helps prevent chances of you making an emergency landing.