The Nitty-Gritty:

* How Gina Bianchini has been leading a slow & intentional brand evolution at Mighty Networks* Why customer feedback has been the key factor in how the brand (and product) has adapted* How the Mighty Networks team is using an online course to gather more customer feedback and create a plan for the future of the brand* What led to leveling up the Mighty Networks visual brand in 2019

Brands evolve.

Sometimes brands evolve naturally—think Dunkin’ Donuts changing their name to Dunkin’ to reflect the fact that more people think of them as a coffee place than a donut place.

Sometimes brands evolve… unnaturally—think Weight Watchers changing their name to WW because, well, I’m not sure why other than they’re trying to stay afloat as more & more people care more about health than weight loss.

The reason that brands evolve is that a brand is only as strong as its reputation in the mind of the customer.

A company doesn’t—can’t—have sole ownership of a brand.

A brand is what the customers believe it is.

Yes, a company can influence a brand’s reputation and story—but it doesn’t own it.

Brands are co-created with the people who engage with it.

This month, we’re examining how brands are built.

No, we’re not talking about where to get a logo done or what color scheme to use on your website.

We’re talking about how the people you care about—your customers, clients, and prospects—remember your business.

We’re talking about the story you tell about what you do, why you do it, and who you do it for.

And we’re talking about what it takes to define a reputation and a presence when there are so many things competing for the attention of our people.

Over the course of this month, you’ll hear from Martinus Evans who is redefining what it means to be a runner with his podcast 300lbs And Running and his community, the Slow AF Run Club. You’ll hear from Stasia Savasuk about how her journey to discovering her personal style taught her about establishing a personal brand. And you’ll hear from Alyssa Catalano from Studebaker Metals about how what you offer defines your brand.

But today, we’re kicking things off with Gina Bianchini from Mighty Networks.

Now, as you probably already know, Mighty Networks is a sponsor of What Works. Plus, we’re proud users of their community-building and course delivery software.

And, as such, I’ve seen the Mighty Networks team go through a careful brand evolution over the last 3 years.

In fact, Mighty Networks brand evolution is a perfect case study in co-creating a brand with the people who engage with it and that’s exactly what I wanted to talk with Gina about.

Gina and I chat about what’s stayed the same and what’s changed over the last few years as Mighty Networks has grown and grown. You’ll hear about Gina’s light bulb moment, how building a community for Mighty Networks users helped her see how people were really using the software, and why she decided to build an online course. Plus, you’ll hear how all of this learning helped Mighty Networks create a stunning new visual brand, in-house,

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