What an Ad Agency and Formula1 Racing Have in Common

As a three-time Formula One World Champion, Lewis Hamilton knows what it takes to consistently win races and outmaneuver his competition. He didn’t become the dominant force of F1 racing by accident. Recently, Hamilton was on CBS’ 60 Minutes and spoke with Charlie Rose about his illustrious career. He explained a major factor contributing to his dominance on the track is his ability to brake late in the turns. A risky move – but when done right, the payoff is huge. Braking late can speed success off the track as well. Looking closely at Hamilton’s strategy, our ad agency believes you can apply the same philosophy to edging ahead of your competition through bold branding.

Know When to Brake
Formula One cars are the fastest road-course racing cars in the world, because of their ability to achieve high speeds when cornering. So when Hamilton waits longer than his competition to brake into a turn, he gains a significant advantage. It takes the same courage to take things right up to the edge in your branding. As an ad agency, when we feel we’ve completed a project, we challenge ourselves and ask, “Is this just good enough…or could we take this a little further and make it even better?”

Pushing yourself creatively just up to the limit – or more importantly, taking things further than the competition – is where brands excel. We’re always looking for ways to make everything we do a little better. We know this is how our clients approach their own work, so this is how we approach ours.

It Doesn’t Mean Much Without Consistency to Back It Up
Being able to maintain balance through a turn is meaningless if you’re not able to duplicate the behavior. You can’t win an entire race with just one fast lap; you’ve got to show that you can repeat your winning techniques over and over again. The same holds true for your branding. Every communication and touchpoint must be authentic and accurate to your brand. Consistency in the look, feel and tone across all your channels builds trust and compounds the value of your marketing dollars.

Races are long, and seasons hold many races. Hamilton doesn’t win by driving a few perfect turns. He wins by providing consistent results. Follow his winning formula to power your brand forward.