The Importance of Reinventing Yourself (Your Brand) in a Constantly and Rapidly Changing World
Posted by Bob Prewitt | Filed under Advertising, Design, Hospitality News, Tips and Trends Series, Updates
I went to a Bob Dylan concert on Monday night at Temple University in Philadelphia. It was awesome.
I first saw Bob Dylan in 1964. That was awesome too.
Yet, I saw two entirely different concerts by the same guy who rendered his music in two entirely different ways.
His essence hasn’t changed. Bob Dylan will always be Bob Dylan, the great singer/songwriter whose songs have been described by Dan DeLuca, Philadelphia Inquirer Music Critic, as “imbued heartbreak with the fatalistic power of myth.”
But he never stops changing the way he goes about presenting himself and his music. This last iteration is spectacular.
Perhaps Dylan’s most famous reinvention was at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival when he offended folk purists by appearing on stage with an electric band consisting of Sam Lay, Mike Bloomfield, Barry Goldberg, Jerome Arnold and Al Kooper.
That’s one great band, and history has proven that Dylan’s willingness to experiment and “reinvent” himself at the time was a great idea.
Now he has created a band that is as tight as any band I have heard since The Band. They create an almost three-dimensional, pulsating sound—much of which is based on phenomenal guitar work by Charlie Sexton.
What makes that so special is that Sexton played with Dylan from 1999 to 2002 but was never permitted to let loose because Dylan was playing a lot of lead guitar.
Now Dylan plays mostly keyboards and harmonica and lets Sexton be his lead guitar player and significant partner—a major and important part of the show.
What a great way to reinvent himself at 68 years of age—letting someone else share the lead, allowing the team to shine.
I am sharing this because I think it is important for all of us to understand the importance of reinventing ourselves. In the world of marketing, it is important for all brands to reinvent themselves in order to stay relevant in these constantly and rapidly changing times.
I’m not saying you should change the essence of who you are. All brands should stay true to what makes them special. But if you are not changing, growing and enhancing, then you are slowly dying.
These days, we may find ourselves with our heads down, plowing through overwhelming amounts of work. But it’s important to stop for a moment and pop our heads above the crowd to see where we are and where we want to be.
So take a look at your brand and see if there are ways to make it more relevant to the world of today and tomorrow. As long as you don’t mess with the essence of the brand, change is a good thing.
For more information on partnering with Dana to reinvent your brand, contact bprewitt@danacommunications.com.
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