How many rapid-fire branding lessons can P.E Nation’s Co-Founder Pip Edwards fit into a one hour fireside conversation? As the guest expert at our recent APAC Marketers’ Meetup, Pip shared valuable insights on levelling up your brand identity for maximum business impact.
Read on for our Top 7 Lessons to make your branding goals actionable. Game, set, and match!
From Startup to Global Brand Success
Since P.E Nation’s inception in 2016, the brand has become synonymous with fashion-first activewear that doesn’t compromise on style. Pip and P.E Nation flipped the script on the traditional activewear product category, finding clear space in a saturated market.
“We blurred the lines between function and fashion. That was a real disruption to the market at the time… and it became our point of difference.” Pip Edwards
Brand Lesson 1: Understand the Market to Find Opportunities
Before diving into a market, successful businesses first investigate new product development avenues, possible limitations and opportunities in the field. It’s important to take time to do market research and a SWOT analysis before you begin. Stepping back and being objective will help identify gaps in the market.
Brand Lesson 2: Define Your Brand Purpose and Lead with Vision
World-class brands have a clear vision and reason for being. If your founder or leadership team are passionate about what they do and why, their enthusiasm and energy will help to convey a unique value proposition and point of difference. This helps brands to stand out in a crowded marketplace and instil customer loyalty.
- Tip: Interview the owner or executive team of your business and ask them to explain the brand purpose in their own words. Their personal, real-world insights may even inspire your next marketing campaign.
Brand Lesson 3: Deliver What Your Customers Need
With a clear ICP (Ideal Customer Profile) in mind, it’s possible to build out a brand vision and strategy based on customer needs. Ask yourself, what is your brand promise and why do your customers care? What problem/s are you solving?
For Pip and P.E Nation, they identified that the busy woman in today’s world couldn’t go from a workout to a lunch date or trip to the shops with the activewear available at the time. It was neither fashionable or comfortable or the products lacked quality design and construction for anything outside of the gym. This led to the brand uniquely positioning itself as “Fashion that moves with you.”
- Tip: Create a brand that transforms people’s everyday by solving problems or making lives easier. For example, Vision6 built a native integration with Canva to help marketers save time by seamlessly adding new brand assets to their campaigns. Less hassle, more brand impact: learn more here.
Brand Lesson 4: Create an Inspiring Brand Story
An authentic brand identity is created by people, for people. Let’s say your highest priority marketing goals are:
a) attracting new and repeat customers
b) increasing long term credibility and profitability of the business
Whether you’re a B2C or B2B company, both of these goals still relate to connecting and engaging with people. Your customers are also your greatest brand advocates. So, it’s important to create a compelling brand story, one that resonates, engages and inspires. Furthermore, try to build strong enough relationships with your customers that they sell this story on your behalf.
- Tip: Even if you’re not the business founder or CEO, imagine for a moment that you are. Find out more about the origins and reason for the brand’s existence. Then, craft a story based on the real people and creative innovation behind the business. Strong brand personality + authentic storytelling = a winning brand strategy
Brand Lesson 5: Build a Business First, a Brand Identity Second
Although a brand is much more than just the numbers, the reality is that many businesses fail in the first five years of operation. Having a solid structure and processes to support business growth is the foundation of long term success.
Pip explains that if numbers are not your strength, it’s important to find someone who can look after this area of the business or a mentor to help develop commercial viability.
“The commercials are so important… If you don’t have that base structure, cash flow, all of those things lined up you’re not a business. And at the end of the day, that’s what you’re building.” Pip Edwards
- Tip: Good marketers need to understand ROI and the key numbers of the business. Make it a priority to learn the basics – and ask your business leaders for support to create a win-win solution for everyone. Then get creative, building a high-quality brand identity that shines bright.
Brand Lesson 6: Think Big, Before Your Business Grows Bigger
“When you connect to that purpose and meaning, you are basically unstoppable.” Pip Edwards
To scale a business, the right structure and people are everything. Know your strengths and where there might be skill gaps in the business. Build a trusted team to support your brand vision and help you achieve your long term game plan and speak to your values.
- Tip: Depending on the size of your business, you may have to wear many hats at once, but making an effort to connect with others will pay off. Create a brand culture across the business that inspires your peers to help deliver the big picture vision. Like Pip, find your Ikigai (a reason for being) and surround yourself with the right support people so you can do your best work.
Brand Lesson 7: Collaboration and Brand Consistency is Everything
While collaborations might not be a traditional marketing channel, strategic partnerships with established industry players can extend a company’s reach and open up new opportunities.
Case in point: P.E Nation’s collections with partners such as Reebok, ASICS and DC Snow have been a valuable way to elevate the brand to new levels.
And, being consistent with brand messaging builds trust, authenticity and business value.
In order to stay true to P.E Nation’s brand DNA and pillars during a time of rapid growth and evolution, the team enlisted the help of an external brand agency to conduct interviews and research. Then, they turned these insights into a brand bible that continues to help the team convey their unique proposition, especially in the leadup to P.E Nation’s new brand era (launched at Australian Fashion Week in May 2024).
“Life isn’t static, and we are not static. We’re always in motion, and you need to keep cross checking what you’re doing to stay relevant… It’s a digital first world, and what was great last week can be different this week.” Pip Edwards
- Tip: A strong visual identity relies on a brand bible (also known as a brand style guide or playbook) where all of your brand assets live. This document becomes your central source of truth and a valuable business resource to get everyone in your organisation on the same page. You can also use it to help train team members so they can effectively translate your brand voice across different marketing channels.
Final takeaway
In our fast-paced, rapidly changing business world, this inspiring conversation with Pip is a reminder that a winning brand identity is much more than just a logo and colour palette. It includes passion, purpose, values and a clear voice that brings everything together.
To recap, here’s the top brand lessons we learned from our fireside conversation:
1: Understand the Market to Find Opportunities
2: Define Your Brand Purpose and Lead with Vision
3: Deliver What Your Customers Need
4: Create an Inspiring Brand Story
5: Build a Business First, a Brand Identity Second
6: Think Big, Before Your Business Grows Bigger
7: Collaboration and Brand Consistency is Everything
Remember, on your brand journey, there are always people (and technology!) to help make things a little easier and support you along the way.
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