The Best Time to Get Your Brand In Shape? When You Don’t Want To.

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There’s a good time to get your brand in shape and a shitty time to do it.

Building a brand is like riding a wild rollercoaster. One minute you’re on top of the world, and the next, you’re getting tossed around like your favorite piece of clothing in the dryer.

When your brand feels like it’s taking a beating is not the time to throw in the towel and binge on chips and junk food.

It’s the time to get up, eat right, work out, get more buff, tighten up your skill set, and make your brand stronger and more resilient.

Want to know how to turn those tough times into your brand’s best times? Here’s how.

The Ups and Downs of Branding

Running a brand is a high-stakes game. There are days when everything clicks, sales are skyrocketing, and your audience is hanging on your every word.

But then come the inevitable lows—negative feedback, sluggish sales, and those moments when nothing seems to work.

It’s easy to feel beaten down, but these lows are actually golden opportunities to toughen up and refocus, reframe and even reinvent your brand.

Why Tough Times Are the Best Times

Here’s the deal: tough times are when real growth happens.

Real growth often means you’re expanding into new terrain. With that comes unfamiliarity and new things to attempt, fail and learn from.

When everything’s smooth sailing, there’s no push to change, innovate, or improve. Thus, complacency sets in and we get “soft.”

But when we’re under fire, we’re forced to adapt ingeniously, think creatively, and build resilience and some marketing muscle.

It’s why those rough patches are prime time for brand-building:

1. Resilience Building: Facing adversity head-on makes you stronger. It forces you to find new ways to connect with your audience and overcome obstacles. Brands that come out the other side of that storm are tougher, smarter, and more respected.
2. Opportunity for Reflection: Tough times are a chance to take a hard look at what’s working and what’s not. Use this time to audit your brand’s performance and trim “the jiggly fat of old, outdated ideas” that lack marketing muscle.
3. Creativity Boost: Pressure breeds creativity. When you’re up against it, you’re forced to think outside the box. I find the best ideas come when my back’s against the wall, and I don’t have time to overthink it.

5 Simple Steps to Get Your Brand in Shape

1. Revisit Your Brand Strategy

First things first, assess your brand strategy. Ask yourself this brutal question, “If we were launching our brand today, would we do exactly what we’re doing now?” (This is 1 of the 19 questions used by companies worldwide.) Confirm your mission, vision, and values still resonate with your audience. If they don’t, it’s time to refine your positioning to better align with current values and where customer needs are headed.

2. Strengthen Your Online Presence

Your online presence is your brand’s front line. Evaluate your website, social media channels, and digital marketing efforts against the current benchmark of what’s working. This will always be advancing so do not get complacent and simply “put everything on autopilot” in this age of AI. Is everything up to scratch? If not, it’s time to invest in boosting your online visibility and engagement.

3. Engage with Your Audience

Use tough times to get closer to your audience. Tougher times = up your game. Listen to their feedback, address their concerns, and show them you value their input. Authentic engagement turns critics into your biggest fans. And a “quick no” is actual progress so you can move on to those who need what you have. Speed matters.

4. Innovate, Simplify and Diversify

Innovation is your best friend when times are tough. Streamline your offer. Look for ways to diversify your offerings, exploring new markets and even new channels of distribution (like Liquid Death did with its canned water at cultural events and concerts or Red Bull’s strategy to pack trash receptacles outside London nightclubs filling them with “crushed empty cans” of Red Bull). And add or remove technologies. Whatever makes it easier for customers and prospects. Small innovations and gestures make a big difference in today’s “everything’s on autopilot” mode.

5. Focus on Quality

No matter how rough things get, never compromise on quality. Your products or services should continue to meet or exceed customer expectations. High quality builds trust and loyalty, which are crucial during challenging periods.

6. Stay Positive and Persistent

Keep your chin up and stay persistent. Remember why you started your brand and keep that passion alive. Focus on your long-term goals and don’t let temporary setbacks derail you.

What To Do If Your Brand’s Gotten Flabby

Getting your brand in shape when you don’t want to is the ultimate test (and proof) of your commitment. It’s easy to cruise when things are going well, but real growth happens during tough times.

By embracing adversity, reassessing your strategy, engaging with your audience, and staying committed to quality and innovation, you turn challenges into opportunities for strength and resilience.

So, ditch the junk food, roll up your sleeves, and get your brand in the best shape of its life. It’s time to toughen up and show the world what your brand is made of.

Eliminating Brand Cellulite: The 10-Minute Workout

Remember: You always have something special. The independence and the autonomy to tell a story that is 100% yours.

If you have a small business that you own, take control of your brand.

Because if you control your brand, you control the narrative.

This matters because if you fail to tell the market your story, they’ll define your brand’s story for you as I explain here in this “10-minute workout” video:

So, start making that move today.

And if you need help, then make this move and reach out.