How to build a brand like u2

 About a month ago or so now I went along to one of the U2 concerts, part of The U2 360° Tour. I am not a die-hard fan, like many who were there, but a friend had spare tickets so I went along. The support band, The Script, were very good and gave a good performance, however they were the aperitif and not the main attraction. When U2 came on stage, Bono praised them and their musical talent, stage presence etc. Then he said, ‘…unlike us, we set up the band first and then learned to play.’

It occurred to me that this could apply to anything you want to do in marketing, business or life. You too could live the dream. Try it, practice it, change it, experiment.

The main thing I recognised about U2 is that they had a clear vision; everything else was just a road/path that led them to the vision.

I once read of an interview with Bono where he’s been asked by a journalist about what U2’s mission was. Having pondered for a few moments, Bono replied ‘Not to be crap.’

An FT journalist, whose name escapes me now, wrote an article on mission statements and what they mean having had a very poor experience with a car rental company, who shall remain nameless. In the article he compared the lofty mission statement of the car rental company with the statement Bono had made about U2’s. Which one was more authentic, believable, and credible?

Back at the concert Bono thanked everyone: the event company, management, the fans for, as he put it, ‘Building their dream’. What struck me most about the above was not only the vision and drive of U2 as a band, but that without loyal fans it would never have come about.

U2 spent years building up a loyal fan base and gave them what they wanted, which it seems to me is not just the music, but an emotional connection, an identity of sorts. Some of the fans travel to all, or as many of the concerts as they can, on the same tour. I am amazed. Some fans drove from Slovenia to Berlin, on to Amsterdam and then to Dublin to go to all the concerts. I have met several fans of Bruce Springsteen who do the same, but I wondered about what inspires such loyalty, such persistence?

So it struck me that I could attempt to chart how you can go about building a brand like U2 yourself.

To my mind it is the following:
1. Have a strong vision/dream/destination
2. Come up with a strategy to get you there (to position yourself on the path)
3. Build a team of like-minded people who support your vision. Don’t go it alone. (these can be colleagues, mentors, customers AKA fans)
4. Have a set of tactics to implement (which is the journey itself) – these can change, keep trying to see what works

Bonus Tips to Get You There
1. Entertain no doubts
2. It is going to happen
3. It is happening
4. Practice, practice, practice

JG