Trends come and go. And consumers will always want more. Yet it seems these days many organizations are quick to react to these increased pressures. And it's natural they should. But do they overreact, or do they act too quickly?

Many times organizations struggle to balance who they are with what they perceive the marketplace wants them to be. The idea of being all things to all people becomes tempting. As market shares shrink and competition increases, they may alter their offering in an attempt to attract a larger audience. Or they may create new offerings to compete in existing markets. But while they think they're evolving, a point comes when they realize they've changed. And change isn't always for the better. They've been pulled in so many directions that now they lack direction. They don't know who they are anymore, and worse, their customers don't know either.

That's where brand focus comes in. Brand focus is about staying true to who you are.

Remember "New Coke?" Millions were spent developing and marketing a new "sweeter" version of Coke's classic recipe. Coke wanted to appeal to perceived changes in people's tastes and convert its primary competitor's following. But it failed miserably. New Coke may have upheld Coca-Cola's promise of refreshment and enjoyment, but it didn't connect with Coke's longtime customers or help Coke steal share from Pepsi. Nor were they successful in attracting new customers. If anything, the change to its product detracted from the reputation that Coca-Cola spent so many years establishing. In fact, the only thing the company succeeded in doing was alienating its longtime customers. What was inside the can with the familiar logo wasn't what loyalists had come to expect and trust. To them, Coke isn't new; Coke is classic, Coke is true.

Remember, your brand is your reputation that is built and maintained through your customer's every interaction with your product, service, and company. And sometimes reputations can be spread too thin. By trying to be everything to everyone and relying on the credibility of your brandmark, you lose what it is that makes your brand unique. But uniqueness, in many ways, is why customers believe in and identify with brands.

Now we're not talking uniqueness for uniqueness' sake. When we're asked to define a brand, we look at the organization, its offering, its culture, its audiences, and its reputation. We distill these many complexities into something that is unique, believable, and authentic. Why? Well, no one wants something that's generic.

But in trying to be everything to everyone, you run that risk. You compromise your offering, confuse your message, and dilute your brand. Instead of having something meaningful to say, you deliver many mixed messages. Instead of offering something substantial and valuable, you offer many generic products. As a result, the organization overspends on marketing because the brand doesn't resonate. All the advertising in the world can't make a connection if the offering is not authentic.

Remember the 80/20 rule, and remember that your customers are individuals who share similar needs and beliefs. Focus on them. Focus on connecting with them and giving them a reason to believe, not simply an incentive to buy. Let them inform you on how to evolve your offering to continually meet their needs.

But most importantly, focus on your core offering — what you do well as an organization. Look at what you do better than your competitors, and focus on being the best at doing that. Lead. Don't follow.

A brand focus, in many ways, allows organizations to know their roots and know their limits. By focusing on your strengths and your uniqueness, the right customers will find you, those that truly want what you have to offer.

Realize that you can't make everyone happy; you can't be everything to everyone. But if you focus on the many that already see your brand as something vitally important to their everyday lives, you'll eventually become everything to them.