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On June 1st, Create & Collab. will turn 3 years old. When I first started this business, all I knew was that I wanted to help people. In the beginning, I didn't truly understand how much value I was bringing to the table, but I knew why I was doing it. The why hasn't changed, but the mission has grown much deeper roots. My business coach helped me develop my slogan, "Bringing your vision to life." This helped me realize, that I'm not just creating for the sake of creating. I've been taking other people's visions and bringing those visions to life with each and every client I work with. Not to mention, when I create a logo or a website for a new business, I'm helping give their business the wings it needs to take flight.
One of my new favorite books called, Contagious has taught me an incredible amount about marketing and triggers. "Music researchers Adrian North, David Hargreaves, and Jennifer McKendrick examined how triggers might affect supermarket buying behavior more broadly. You know the music you're used to hearing while you shop for groceries? Well, North Hargreaves, and McKendrick subtly replaced it with music from different countries. Some days they played French music while other days they played German music - what you'd expect to hear outside a French cafe on the banks of the Seine and what you might expect to hear at Oktoberfest. Then they measured the type of wine people purchased.
When French music was playing, most customers bought French wine. When German music was playing most customers bought German wine. By triggering consumers to think of different countries, the music affected sales. The music made ideas related to those countries more accessible, and those accessible ideas spilled over to affect behavior." They go on to say, "Products and ideas also have habitats, or sets of triggers that cause people to think about them. Take hot dogs. Barbecues, summertime, baseball games, and even wiener dogs. (dachshunds) are just a few of the triggers that make up the habitat for hot dogs.
Most products or ideas have a number of natural tiggers. Mars bars and Mars the planet are already naturally connected. The mars company didn't need to do anything to create the link. Likewise, French music is a natural tigger for French wine, and the last day of the workweek is a natural trigger for Rebecca Black's song "Friday." Linking a product or idea with a stimulus that is already associated with many things isn't as effective as forging a fresher more original link. Triggers and cues lead people to talk, choose, and use. Social currency gets people talking, but triggers keep them talking. Top of mind means tip of tongue."
After reading this in Contagious, I realized that I now have a trigger I could associate with the brand. I've always loved inspirational content that encourages and uplifts people. I've wanted to create content like this for the business, but I felt like I needed to do more digging first. I'm glad I did.
I found scriptures that are now the inspiration behind the new branding shift. "But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles." Isaiah 40:31 and "He covers the sky with clouds; he supplies the earth with rain and makes grass grow on the hills. He provides food for the cattle and for the young ravens when they call." Psalm 147:8
I knew when I started this business I was taking a leap of faith. I felt called to do this, but some months I didn't know where the work would come from. In times like this I would always remember this scripture: "Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?" Matthew 6:26 If God took care of the birds, why wouldn't he take care of me? This isn't to say I could sit idle and expect God to do all the work. There's another quote I love that goes like this, "Work as if everything depends on you, pray as if everything depends on God." There are times I'll be putting in the work, but I'm not sure if it's going to pay off. For me, owning a business has been a huge test of faith, self discipline, and consistency, but it's been worth every single lesson.
A few other quotes that have inspired the new branding addition:
"Ideas become a reality when you give them wings to soar."
"Dare to turn your dreams into wings."
"The bird who dares to fall, is the bird who learns to fly."
"When everything seems to be going against you, remember that aircrafts take off against the wind, not with it."
"Let your dreams be your wings."
"Dare to fly."
"We fly at dawn."
"There is freedom waiting for you, on the breeze of the sky. And you ask, "What if I fail?" Oh but my darling, what if you fly?"