Last weekend I went up to beautiful Mt Nebo for a gorgeous scenic drive and lunch. On the way down the mountain range, we saw motorbike skid marks on a bend, then a sole motorcycle standing on the road. No-one was nearby. We stopped and found a very lucky, young man emerging from the very steep mountain slope. He had his friend with him and a resident who had heard the screech. The young 20 something had managed to jump off his bike before he and his bike both careered down the mountain, only to have the bike land on him on the way down the slope. He emerged with cut jeans, a pretty beaten up knee, a sore shoulder and the shakes.
Last Saturday one of the coldest days that we have had in Brisbane this autumn, but after his adrenalin died down and shock took over, the poor lad was shivering like he had been in iced water. At least he could walk up to the road. He and his mate were on cruiser bikes, they weren’t being silly buggers, but yet, one of them took a corner at the wrong angle, and down the mountain he went. He was lucky to walk away from it. There are many flower bouquets along that range, signaling many others weren’t so lucky. Disaster can hit at any time. These two young lads will think themselves lucky for many years to come.
Brands need to do the same. They can’t become complacent. They need to wake up every morning and think, how can we keep our customers from leaving? How can we make things better by providing better solutions, service, value? How can we attract new prospects? Think smart and avoid disaster, and have customers loving and thanking your brand for years to come. Virgin have just undertaken a huge rebranding exercise. Have they taken a gamble? I think not. They didn’t cut corners too quickly, they thought about the route ahead and were certainly not complacent.
A little bit of luck 