Your brand should perform like a dandelion: resilient, resourceful, prolific in output, delivering impressive results year after year.
Every spring my yard and I do battle. When the snow melts and the grass starts to turn green again I have visions of a deep, thick, healthy lawn stretching to soak up the sun and welcoming in the warm air. Instead, I get about 20 different varieties of grass left over from the previous owner, clover and dandelions. Lots of dandelions. I hate dandelions. Or at least I did until I started studying up on my adversary.
Now I'm thinking maybe we could learn a few things from the lowly dandelion.
Resilience
Dandelions don't need perfect conditions to flourish. They don't mind if the soil is bad, the water inconsistent, or even if they have to go it alone against all odds ... like taking root in a small crack in concrete. They accept the conditions given and find a way to succeed.
Ever try to kill a dandelion by pulling it out of the ground? Go ahead, try. It'll be back tomorrow or the next day, or the next. That's because dandelions put down a taproot up to 10 inches long which allows it to flourish in some really nasty conditions. Even better, the taproot is brittle, so when you yank hard parts of the root break off and that last little bit left in the ground is all the dandelion needs to grow again. It's not going away until you make life impossible.
How resilient is your brand? Do you need the perfect environment to thrive, or can you take it on the chin and stand up again? What are you doing to give yourself a shot at success even against all odds?
Resourcefulness
Let's look at that taproot again. It hangs out in the ground all winter long and waits for the perfect time to emerge. By the time you see what's going on, the dandelion is way ahead of you. You don't stand a chance of winning this battle, and it knows.
But dandelions don't just look out for themselves. They bring up nutrients that help surrounding plants. They loosen and aerate the soil in some places and hold on to it in others to fight erosion. They even fertilize the ground around them ... and people rave about the iron and Vitamin A they add to salads.
How would you rate your brand on resourcefulness? How do you take advantage of the opportunities around you? What do you contribute to the community?
Prolific Output
Dandelions put on a show, no doubt about it. Legend has it that hundreds of years ago people yanked out the grass so the dandelions had more room to grow. But even with just a little room, each plant produces a handful of bright yellow flowers. Each flower may bear 100 or more seeds. Each seed is laser focused on taking root and thereby continuing the cycle. And since it can take just six to eight weeks to go from seed to maturity, dandelions do everything in their power to make sure their legacy continues.
How prolific is your brand output? What are you doing to spread the tribe and make sure more people have a chance to embrace your brand?
Deliver Impressive Results Year After Year
Producing seeds in spring and fall, sending down deep roots to endure the cold winter and murderous attempts of landscapers and gardeners, dandelions return each year to prosper, grow and share. They'll happily find a home in a new neighborhood with great conditions, or replenish the area in bad soil. How about your brand?
Are you building a brand that will last, one that has the ability to keep growing and changing each year, or are you consumed with the now? What should you do to change your trajectory and give you a better chance of survival?
We can spend time debating the merits of challenger brands versus leader brands, legacy versus start up, entrepreneurs versus intrapreneurs, etc. Or, we can simplify the conversation even further and ask: what's your dandelion strategy?