5 Summer Brand Challenges to Tackle from Your Sunlounger

Woohoo summer is here! 

Time to skip off to the beaches and try to slack off (for your own good). But for mission-led business leaders and founders, it’s hard to switch off completely. So we’ve put together a series of fun, thought-provoking summer brand challenges to keep your business brain satisfied while you soak up the rays. And you don’t even need to leave your sunlounger! Just pick and choose which you’d like to do – or do them all for extra brownie, or in this case, ‘brandie’ points. 😉

Challenge 1: Tap into the power of quirky questions

What better way to start than by asking yourself some holiday-inspired questions? So dip in and tackle the following. Why? Because pondering quirky questions like these will unleash your creative side and help you view your brand from different perspectives. Oh and remember, you’ll find the ‘and why?’ part of each question to be the most revealing – this is how you make your answers entirely relevant to your brand.

If your brand was an inflatable pool toy, which would it be and why?

Is it a classic rubber duck, reliable and beloved? Or a giant unicorn, capturing attention and sparking joy? This inspires you to think about your brand personality, how it stands out and what makes it memorable. 

Let’s try another one: If your brand were a cocktail, which one would it be and why?

Is it a sophisticated martini, sleek and stylish? Or a vibrant, show-stealing Tequila sunrise? Consider the essence of your brand and how it connects with your audience. This question makes you think about how you’d like others to see your brand and the reasons they might “order” it.

Finally, if your brand was a holiday activity, what would it be and why?

Would it be scuba diving, exploring new depths? Would it be a rugged hike, enduring, intrepid? Or perhaps a relaxing massage, for hands-on luxury? Reflect on the products and services you offer and the value they bring to your customers.

Were you surprised by any of your answers? Any clashes between what you wanted the answer to be and, if you’re being honest, what your brand is now? 

Asking simple questions in ways that make you think differently will help you to find ways to authentically differentiate your brand.

Challenge 2: Making the stars align

Star ratings are an indispensable shortcut to helping us select a hotel and understand what we can expect when we arrive. 

So let’s think about your star rating. What level of quality and service do you strive to provide to your clients? How many stars would you give your business?

Are you the equivalent of a 5-star luxury resort offering lavish experiences with white-glove service and top-tier amenities? Or perhaps you’re a quaint 3-star inn, cosy and affordable, with a warm, welcoming vibe and essential home comforts. 

There’s no wrong answer here. The only difficulty is if your brand doesn’t align – because this is how your prospects will form their expectations, which will also constrain your price point.

So this next question is key, does your brand accurately reflect your star rating?

If not, it’s time to consider how you can align your brand’s look, feel, and messaging with the experience you consistently deliver. So get comfortable, order something tall and ice-cool, and make a wishlist while you relax. 

Challenge 3: Sprinkle in some surprise and delight

Here we dip even further into the world of brand experience.

Imagine checking into a beautiful seaside resort for your summer holiday. Everything is as stunning as you expected, and then you discover a complimentary bottle of chilled champagne in your room with a handwritten welcome card. Well hallelujah, suddenly, everything is even more perfect! And you post selfies with your surprise gift all over social media as a result.

This is the power of surprise and delight.

I was lucky enough to experience a master stroke in surprise and delight on my holiday just a few weeks ago. After a day out in the sun, we returned to find an envelope posted through our hotel door. Intriguing! But just imagine our unfiltered delight when inside we found an invite to upgrade from our basic, nice enough room to none other than the presidential suite! Completely free of charge. And now I can’t wait to spread the word… Elysium Resort and Spa in Rhodes, you rock!

Hotels and spas play the surprise and delight card really well. But we can all take inspiration from them for our own businesses – even in B2B. The trick is to align your extras and special touches with your brand values and promise. 

So brainstorm how you can create the ultimate brand experience. Here’s a few (B2B) examples to get you started:

• Send thoughtful gifts, personalised video messages or handwritten notes to welcome new clients, congratulate them on milestones or thank them after completing major projects. 
• Offer complimentary upgrades – extra features or additional support at no cost to reinforce your commitment to their success.
• Host a ‘Client Innovation Day’ where your team brainstorms and presents new, custom ideas to help them overcome challenges. 
• Feature your clients in a special spotlight series on your blog or social media. Promote their expertise and achievements, explain how you work together, and highlight the results. 
• Make a donation to a charity or cause that’s important to them as a thank you and to show how you support their values.

Remember, it’s not always about grand gestures. Often, it’s a series of small, thoughtful details that make the biggest impact.

4) Challenge 4: Postcard promises

Next time you’re at the holiday shop, pick up a bunch of postcards. Notice how little space there is to actually write anything? Aha, this is our cunning plan and the crux of our challenge – because this forces you to capture only the most important things in the most condensed way possible. These same rules apply to crafting your clear and compelling brand promise – or unique value proposition.

Which is exactly what we’d like you to do now. So here goes:

1. Grab a postcard: Imagine you’re sending a quick note to a potential client who’s hearing about your brand for the first time.
2. Keep it simple: You have a tiny amount of space, so focus on the essentials. What makes your business unique and valuable to your customers?
3. Spotlight the key benefit: Think about the most impactful benefit your clients will gain. What do you want your audience to remember? 
4. Engage emotionally: A great postcard connects on an emotional level. Use words that evoke feelings to resonate more deeply.
5. Call to action: End with a simple call to action. What do you want your postcard recipient to do next? Visit your website or schedule a meeting?

This creative exercise helps you laser focus on what truly matters, stripping away any fluff or fuzziness. It might take a few tries but persevere – your newfound super-tight clarity will pay dividends in your business.

Then send us your postcard! We’d love to receive it and will happily share any tips for making it even better.

Challenge 5: Take our Brand FireTest 

Fun, thought-provoking and easy to do, our Brand FireTest is a quick-fire online questionnaire that should take you no longer than 5 minutes to complete. 

You’ll discover your brand impact score and receive an instant report summarising your effectiveness across the four core foundations of an impact brand – Differentiation, Authenticity, Resonance, and Expression (our DARE methodology). 

What’s more, packed inside you’ll also find some simple recommendations for making swift improvements.  

So before you dip back into the pool, take the FireTest here: https://firestarter.live/fire-test/

And that’s a wrap… or a sarong in this case. (Okay, sorry, that was pretty bad, I know.)

But remember, the best ideas usually come from the most relaxed state of mind. So, keep enjoying the sunshine, let your creativity flow, and watch your brand grow.

Happy holidays and happy branding! 🏖🍹

Love, Firestarter x