When it comes to live experiences, Bruno Mars is hands-down the best performer I’ve seen. In this post, I’ll break down 4 lessons (and 8 takeaways to do, today!) from this charismatic entertainer to set your Brand apart.
This weekend my husband, cousins, and I descended upon Vegas to watch the show of my dreams: An Evening With Silk Sonic.
Silk Sonic is the ‘70s-inspired powerhouse pop/R&B duo comprised of Bruno Mars, one of the most decorated and multi-talented songwriters and performers of our time, and Anderson .Paak: a highly slept-on drummer, rapper, singer, and megawatt-smile jokester.
Everything from the instrumentals to the outfits; the voice-overs to the humor brought back that FEEL-good nostalgic soul that could lift the spirits of the ENTIRE world if looped from speakers in space.
And let me tell you, I cried. I cried the WHOLE 2-hour show.
Naturally as a Brand Storyteller, this drew so many parallels to branding in my mind, all reduced to this question:
When it comes to your Brand, do your dream clients feel anything?
As the digital space grows more meta, the Brands that stand apart will evoke emotion that leads to loyalty.
COME ALIVE CO
If your Brand is as exciting as a wet rag then today, it’s time we talk about Bruno.
Here are 4 tips plus 8 action steps to do TODAY to build your very own 24k magic Brand.
Branding With Bruno Mars
4 Tips (+ 8 Action Steps!) to a 24K Magic Brand
1. Have fun in your business: authenticity through joy
When’s the last time you truly felt JOY creating for your business? Our culture is encouraged to “build to the top” and hit milestones that may not be for us. That, on top of the past 2 years we’ve had, have made burnout aka languishing* the #1 thing on our minds.
Joy is the most overlooked characteristic of creating in a capitalistic society. We tend to think, “if it doesn’t increase my bottom line, why do it?”. And while you may not trace tangible earnings, the intangible return of attention, affection, and loyalty cannot be replicated otherwise.
Bruno and Anderson linked up out of mutual respect for each other’s work, and when they hit the studio together? Pure magic. Why? They didn’t worry about making a hit single, or what their labels would think. In their unity TOGETHER they were freed to make the music they actually liked: a vibe people can feel through the screen, evidenced through 5,000 of us throwing our hard-earned dollars at the Dolby Live to experience them live each night.
If potential clients aren’t going buck wild for you, I’d argue that it’s not about SAYING the right things but doing it with feeling. In today’s culture, people can feel authenticity and integrity (or lack thereof) through the screen.
Ché Elizaga Castro, Founder, Come Alive Co
TAKE ACTION TODAY
If you’ve been feeling burnt out in your business lately,
1) Take care of YOU first
Everything else flows from your health and well-being. Even taking small steps to put YOU first can lead to monumental shifts. Pick at least 1 thing to do 5 minutes every day and see how you feel after 30 days, like:
- Daily morning pages (journaling 3 pages a day, per Julia Cameron)
- Create art for art’s sake, not to show anyone
- Wash your face and apply moisturizer
- Add more fruits and veggies to your meals
- Stroll outside for vitamin D
2) Take an honest stock of your roles and responsibilities
Running a business means wearing more hats than anticipated which takes away from WHY we started in the first place. What are you doing that’s totally out of your element?
There’s a saying that businesses take 3 major roles to run: the Operator, the Entrepreneur, and the Artist.
- The Operator runs the business side: cash flow; organization; admin, and more.
- The Entrepreneur dreams BIG, scans and seizes opportunity, and increases market share.
- The Artist ensures integrity of the product.
I’ve read that you are naturally one and can be two, but not all three. This is where burnout happens: investing in the areas you don’t thrive in.
Delegate; outsource; ask for help… anything to move toward your zone of genius, which is where your money (and happiness) will come from, anyway.
2. Delight in the details: create with intention
After the concert, YouTube served me a masterful 38-minute video breaking down Silk Sonic’s secret sauce.
One thing I never realized is just *how much attention* Bruno pays to each line of music. As the musical arranger, he ensures each instrument is played in the style of the ‘70s.
From the muted guitar to their crushed velvet flares and vintage video style at their concert, Bruno’s attention to detail made for an all-encompassing show which touched my soul to the point of tears.
Does your Brand resonate intentionally with fans? Or do you make choices based on what’s popular today?
No need to feel bad; most don’t learn to reach past surface level, resulting in copycats across Instagram. But building a Brand that LASTS with massive impact requires close attention, with intention, to the details.
TAKE ACTION TODAY
- Pull out your Brand Values, which are the building blocks to any breakthrough Brand. Do they come across in your actions, look (design), and communication (messaging)?
- If you don’t yet have your Brand Values set, check out this post to select and define 5 – 8 values to help your Brand stand apart AND stay true to you.
3. Stay ready for opportunity with connection-driven communication
Silk Sonic came to be because lockdown forced these two superstars to pause their global tours. This allowed Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak to mess around in the studio, producing the Silk Sonic project we know today.
And while most “regular” folk (aka, non-celebrities) had to focus on surviving, not thriving, the truth remains: if you’re good at what you do, opportunity will ALWAYS be just around the corner, ready to knock down your door.
We’ve worked with many-an-accomplished woman who’s skipped speaking engagements, press coverage, and other opportunities that would’ve flung new doors wide open for them, all because they weren’t ready to speak about their work in a way that would CONNECT to their audience on a mass scale.
TAKE ACTION TODAY
Not sure how to communicate in a way that CONNECTS to your audience en masse? Try this formula we teach in our training:
“I help [IDEAL CLIENT] overcome [PROBLEM] through [PRODUCT/SERVICE] so they [THEIR ULTIMATE GOAL]”
BRAND PROMISE FORMULA, COME ALIVE CO
For instance, our Brand Promise is:
At Come Alive Co, we help impact-driven women and diverse leaders overcome communication constipation through Brand Story training so they SHOW UP fully, stand apart in a saturated market (while staying true to their values), and make the money and impact they’re here for.
BRAND PROMISE, COME ALIVE CO
As billionaire Warren Buffett said, communication is the #1 tool for any leader to master. What opportunities are you leaving on the table by skating past your most magnetic message?
4. Read the room: reach customers where they’re at
We emphasize this a lot at Come Alive Co, but your Brand is not just about you, your likes, or your preferences. Your Brand is FOUNDED on the brilliance of you, but FURTHERED by inviting in your ideal audience.
What makes Silk Sonic so dynamic is that *every* show changes — from a music video to an awards show to their Las Vegas residency — because they understand that each audience requires something different. We talk a lot about the multi-channel experience:
As the digital world becomes even more meta, your Brand will have to find new ways to connect to your audience, where they are.
Ché Elizaga Castro, Founder, Come Alive Co
Do your social media, email newsletter, in-person events, referrals, and customer experiences reflect the needs and next steps that’ll move hungry customers from “just looking”, to loyal for life?
TAKE ACTION TODAY
- Rate the channels that bring you the most business.
- Assess: are you saying the same thing across each channel? Consistency of communication breeds trust, which leads to higher purchase.
- If not, go back to Tip 3, and make sure your messaging is concise and compelling across all channels.
This analysis is called the Customer Journey, and it’s one thing we map out with you, and your Brand uniquely, in our group Mastermind: enrolling only 1 more time this year.
Leave The Door Open to Breakthrough Branding
From EXCEEDING expectation and paying attention to intention, to seizing the RIGHT opportunities and just having a good ol’ time, Bruno Mars is the performer of our generation — AND a blueprint for Branding success.
Now it’s your turn:
- What was your FAVORITE tip, or the action step you’re running to take care of, today?
- What’s the best concert you’ve experienced live? Why was that?
Leave a comment below, I’d love to hear your input!
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