Yesterday, another legend went quietly into the night. Kobe Bean Bryant, one of the most successful American Basketball players of all time, died in a helicopter crash alongside his daughter.
Before his death, Kobe was not just a successful sportsman. He was marketing expert and enthusiast. He worked with Nike and some of the most iconic brands to execute some of the best campaigns in history. In the memory of the life and times of Kobe Bryant, we are proud to share with you some of the three lessons we learned from him.
Shoot More
One of the most challenging time for a brand or in the life of a business is when everything you do, every campaign you execute do not seem to be doing anything tangible. But you have to keep taking more shots because every shot gets you closer to winning.
In a Q&A with Chuck Klosterman for GQ, he said, “I’ve shot too much from the time I was 8 years old. But ‘too much’ is a matter of perspective. Some people thought Mozart had too many notes in his compositions. Let me put it this way: I entertain people who say I shoot too much. I find it very interesting. Going back to Mozart, he responded to critics by saying there were neither too many notes or too few. There were as many as necessary.”
Always learn from Legends
One of the things Kobe Bryant likes doing is his habit to always call those he admired. He was always checking up on successful people and icons in the marketing and branding business. As a brand manager/owner, there are successful people you should always look up to, talk to and seek their counsel. You will learn a great deal on how to tackle your next big challenge.
When asked specifically about his conversations with Jonathan Ives, he said, “I want to know, he’s unique in what he does. Why? How? How does he view the product? How does he view the process of designing a product? How does he know he has the product exactly where he wants it to be? How do you know those things? How does he see the world differently from everyone else manufacturing hardware? Cause something is going on from the moment he sees something, and it goes into his brain, that’s a different process than other designers. I’m curious to know what that is.”
Differentiate your brand, Always!
There is no point trying to make your brand look more or less like the other brand no matter how glossy or successful it is. Always stand out, be unique, that is what makes you a brand.
In a Bloomberg interview, he said, “Just be yourself”. “Who are you? Where are you today? What is your story? Where does that come from? Then communicate it to the public,” he said.
