1. Set ‘Big Hairy Audacious Goals’
   JFK didn’t just bang on about the importance of space travel he challenged NASA to land on the moon. Bogart didn’t try to teach her daughter about 19^th century culture from a book - they challenged themselves to throw a historically accurate ball.
   
   When you focus on the outcome vs the activities to get there, everyone gets behind it with zeal and energy. They come up with and drive the ideas and activities to get there (sometimes in ways you haven’t thought of). And others get caught up in the energy of this and start to follow. As Simon Sinek always says people buy your ‘why’ not your ‘what’. Start your brand strategy with a really clear vision of how you want to change the world.
   
   
2. Find out what drives and enchants your child/customer
   When you can couch learning in something your child loves they buy into it energetically without coercion. Setting up the elf and shoemakers shop, measuring and pricing the shoes and selling them to a sibling (at a huge profit) unsurprisingly went down much better than a video maths lesson. My daughter didn’t even know she was doing maths.
   
   When brands really understand what their customers care about and what motivates them and  show how they can help with that brands (or maths lessons) sell themselves.
   
   
3. ‘One thing principle’
   The Brave Learner talks about importance of picking one item, idea or principle and really getting to know it, enjoying it and then reminiscing about it to really establish and land the idea with the child.   People don’t really grow out of this.
   
   Consumers are hit with so many messages every day, if you want them to remember and understand your brand you need to pick one thing, one idea you are going to stand for. Talk about that in everything you do. Show that same thing over and over but in different ways and then keep reminding them about it. Having a really clear and consistent meaning and message is what builds brands and helps people (adults and children) remember them.
   
   
4. Read, experience, encounter
   You can show a child a book about space, however they are unlikely to remember the details the same as if you went to a planetarium. And, actually, they are unlikely to really ‘get it’ till you point out the stars in the night sky.
   
   Brand communications need to be three-dimensional. You need long form/factual elements that explain what you are but to be engaging and memorable you need to show consumers what you do and help them experience or imagine the experience of how it can make them feel.
   
   
5. Magic Doors
   Kids need short cuts to ideas. Trying to explain heat as energy to a five year old - not that easy. Lighting an empty tea bag and seeing how that makes it shoot up to the ceiling (responsible parents of the year strike again) got the point across. Adults need shortcuts too – people have a lot on their minds and your brand and brand messages are just not that important to them.
   
   Brands need to develop visual cues and shortcuts to help consumers understand quickly what you are about with minimal effort/thinking. In too many ads and pieces of packaging brands try to cram in too many text/verbalised messages which - in the 1-3 seconds someone spends looking at your pack/ad they are not going to take in. What are your magic doors? What are the visual short cuts such as colour/shape/font style/images/music or other sensory plays that can do the heavy lifting, so you don’t have to say it in text.

We would love to hear your thoughts on this blog in the comments.  What has home-schooling taught you about brand strategy? What are your BHAG or magic doors?