It started well enough.....a personal note on 2020

A lifetime ago, back in January, I spent time in New York working with Ignacio Mattos, the Michelin star chef who runs Estela on East Houston. It was one of those assignments where you just have to pinch yourself to make sure it’s not a dream! From being told to eat at Estela and its two sister restaurants morning, noon, and night to the surreal experience of having dinner with Ignacio and being asked what I wanted to order - well I replied, you wrote the menu, you choose!

It has been an extremely challenging year for Ignacio’s team but it’s good to know two of their three restaurants are still open for trade.

My own plan, since the launch of What’s Your Point?, was to speak at conferences and business schools with the aim of sharing the benefits of brand strategy (I’m a big fan!) and making contact with delegates who might at some point want to use my services. And the plan worked! I had signed up four new clients early in the year, all of which were starting mid March…

Of course, when Boris told us all to stay at home (March 14th as I recall), all those four clients indefinitely postponed the projects and so a plan B was needed.

Unlike many, I was fortunate enough to be able to have a choice about my circumstances, and decided that being busy was the best response and so created a suite online products that as well delivering the benefits of a brand strategy, were very affordable - you can see them here.

It was aimed at starts ups, sole traders and small enterprises who I thought could use this forced hiatus to plan for the future. And I was busy! I worked with 6 clients on a discounted or pro bono rate through April and May and it was very rewarding for all concerned. During that time the business world got used to the ‘new normal’, the postponed projects came back and in fact, 2020 is turning out to be my busiest year.

Over the year I have been lucky enough to work with the Chartered Institute of Marketing, delivering online lectures and I have just finished shooting a video series that introduces the main building blocks of the book. Both endeavours reflect my ambition to make the benefits of a brand strategy as available to as many as possible - and for a reminder of those benefits - click here!

Wishing you all the best as we continue our journey through these challenging but enlightening times.

Bruce.

Bruce M McKinnon is a brand strategist and the author of the award-winning book ‘What’s Your Point?’. The book explores how brand strategy can fuel business growth, referencing some of the world’s most successful brands as well as sharing case studies from his own global consulting practice. The book can be purchased from Amazon, or to get free content and a chance to win a year’s supply of Source Climate Change coffee, sign up to my network here.