Six tips for building a winning brand

CN&CO’s Carel Nolte recently addressed a group of insurance brokers at the CIB Broker Session in Johannesburg, where he shared his philosophy on how to build a winning brand. Although his talk was aimed at insurance brokers, these principles can be applied to any industry.

Build relationships and focus on the details. Knowing what your contacts, clients and staff’s interests are will allow you to add massive value and make a substantial impact on your relationships with them.
Your people are your biggest brand ambassadors. Build an internal culture that makes them feel like part of the fabric of your organisation and acknowledges them as people.
Talk about your industry with passion. Positive energy and enthusiasm are contagious. Exude these things and you will be remembered.
Don’t hide or keep secrets. Sooner or later people will always find out. Rather be open about the good and the bad in your organisations. Build positive relationships with competitors.
Think laterally. If everyone’s doing it, you should be doing something else.
Nothing is unfixable, unless you’re not dead. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. No one ever succeeded by being cautious.