Thats what a good friend of minetold me hed instructed his investment broker todolast March.
I was impressed and irked.
Why had I lacked the foresight and why had he not tipped me off?
A stronger contact lens prescription, his… well, best not think about it.
Zoom is the ultimate overnight success, a victor of circumstance.
Imagine Facebooks 2006-08 growth charts, then concertina them into a single week.
Friday, March 20th, 2020: a handful of us had Zoomd.
Friday, March 27th: hands up who hadnt?
The circumstances are chance.
40% off TNW Conference!
Yes, I would argue.
And it comes down to brand.
To control, or not to control?
Heres a thing, Zoom is now a verb.
Ill wager Miriam-Websters will rubber-stamp it in their annual update.
But entering the vernacular is dangerous, particularly if you dont own the narrative that accompanies it.
For Zoom, the phrasing is mostly pejorative; zoom fatigue, zoom hell, back-to-back Zooms.
Brand building is about controlling the narrative.
But why does it matter?
Simply put, it makes Zoom vulnerable to a new, more empathetic alternative.
Digital startups that undergo rapid growth often overlook brand narrative.
Ill concede this might be true, up to a point.
If your product is your brand, theres little defense when a storm rolls in.
And as sure as nature, it will.
It might be an economic downturn, regulation, a rogue exec, or just a better product.
Whichever, you should probably control your brand narrative and use it to retain people.
How do you create a powerful brand narrative?
But dont stop there.
Now load the mission with humanity and manifest it in the product, the company, and the marketing.
This involves truly understanding peoples needs and wants.
This is a human-centric approach and its the absolute foundation of a brand narrative.
Defining the brand and the narrative can easily be deprioritized but dont let it happen!
If theres one thing the pandemic taught product owners and marketers, speed of response matters.
I can tell you first hand that those businesses who knew their narrative, knew how to respond instantly.
Consumers embraced them, flocked to them in some cases.
Those who didnt took months to respond, and it has hurt their business.
Zoom will be worth billions by the time this article is published and many employees will pocket life-changing cheques.
Its a remarkable story, but it doesnt end with the IPO.
Brands have been known to outlive their original products, but products without brands get unstuck at some point.
I mean… when did you last Skype?
Nick also has additional global experience, as Creative Director at DDB in Sydney.
