From ACME to e= mc2 : Creating a Powerful Brand

As an entrepreneur, you think big and you dream bigger.

This is the ambition that drives us to achieve great things.

Sometimes to achieve these dreamy goals of ours, we try to develop everything at once.

We want our brand to solve every problem for our customers.

If you grew up watching American cartoons, you may recall seeing companies called “ACME”.

Since nobody owns the rights to the name, it’s often used in cartoons to represent fictitious companies.

As a kind of an inside joke, ACME stood for "A Company Making Everything".

However, what happened in cartoons wasn't far off from reality.

"Life Imitates Art Far More Than Art Imitates Life" - Oscar Wilde

We probably didn't notice this growing up, but as we got older many of us realized that the choices we made throughout our lives were really just an illusion.

All the things we bought and used were ultimately just coming from a handful of companies.

Examples like these occur across all industries.

In Looney Tunes, Wile E. Coyote tries to use products with the name “ACME” written on them to capture the Road Runner.

He tried using everything and yet these tools failed and backfired on him every time.

They were explosives, rockets, and weapons.

This is what I like to call an “ACME moment”.

Before Wile E. Coyote is about to capture the Road Runner, he continuously is having these “ACME moments”.

Similarly, companies who try to do everything are bound to experience these “ACME moments”.

If you've experienced this, don't worry because even the biggest companies today have these “ACME moments”.

Every large company has experienced these failures and learned this lesson the hard way.

You just may not have heard about them because they usually happen behind the scenes.

Amazon started off as a book company and Apple started off as a computer company.

Being intentional and focusing on one aspect of your brand can take you far.

This is how you learn all the ropes which you can eventually apply to expand your brand.

Start small and target a very specific customer and niche.

Failure is essential feedback for you to improve your processes and hone in on your vision.

This is how you develop your brand to its limitless potential.

Today “ACME stands for “A Creator Making Everything”

Since the launch of the internet-connected smartphone, there has been a shift that has led creators to have the same power that for decades, was only available to companies.

Now they too are trying to make everything!

For example, let's say you are a creator who wants to build a lifestyle brand centered around helping everyone live their most comfortable life at home and at work.

There is a very wide range and could include many different products that your audience may possibly need to be comfortable (i.e apparel, furniture, office supplies, workout equipment, etc).

If you begin offering this wide variety, you will eventually realize it doesn’t work.

Your audience is confused about what you specialize in.

If you try to be a master of everything, you will be perceived as a master of none.

Instead, become a master of one.

Stop trying to do everything and focus on doing just one thing really well.

“ACME” Backwards is “e= mc2”

Let’s break this down:

M=Mass

The Mass is your message.

This is your brand promise and the underlying value proposition conveyed through your content whether it be a blog, videos, podcast, etc.

This is what makes your audience connect with your brand.

It inspires, persuades or motivates them to ultimately want to follow you and purchase your products.

C2 squared = Communication.

We have this new powerful tool called the internet or what I like to call the digital world available at our finger tips

Within the digital world, there is social media country.

Social media platforms are like countries.

Social media platforms have more users than some countries have citizens.

Just like countries have different cultures, laws, and ways of running, social media is the same way.

For example, when you first go onto TikTok you may feel like a foreigner because you’re not aware of the culture of the platform.

There’s a bit of culture shock, as you navigate the culture and subcultures within TikTok.

On each of these platforms, you have access to reach potentially millions or billions of people at the speed of light.

You can multiply your message beyond each social media country expanding your reach across the digital world.

E = Energy

Energy is the momentum of attention that's gained through your content eventually turning that attention into money.

As an entrepreneurial creator, your brand is your child and you need to feed it so that it can grow.

The best way for it to grow is through attention.

Money flows where attention goes.

To increase the energy and attention of your content, you need to increase the number of people interacting with it.

This is why the greater mass of your message combined with a valuable method of communication equates to the amount of energy you put out into the world.

How can we measure energy and attention?

We measure with action.

The combined energy of each user who views, clicks, comments, saves, shares, and subscribes.

When people increase their watch time on your channels and continue interacting with you, they are triggering the social media algorithm to make your brand content visible to more of its organic pool of users across its platform.

All this energy collectively fuels your commerce in the digital world environment.

This is how energy transforms into money.

Your goal is to help your brand develop to its limitless potential.

Social Media Country Could Seem Like ACMELAND At Times

As a creator, you may find a way to turn those moments into an inspiring story or those failures into something comical and entertaining for your audience (think memes).

Making your mark in social media country can only help you propel your brand to the next level and turn ACME into e= mc2.

Instead of making everything, make one thing well.

Communicate a powerful message that has a weight and force behind it.

Be intentional with how you build your brand on the land of social media.

With the right framework, you will be able to reach even greater heights than you could ever imagine!