The video above is part of a great post by Derek Sivers on leadership, but when I first watched it a month ago I noticed there are a couple of great takeaways that can also be applied to the branding world. Here they are:

1-Be Bold
A bold brand initiates inspiration. Being quiet doesn’t motivate others to give you a chance.

2-Be easy to follow.
This hearkens back to my post on What Makes a Strong Brand where I pointed out that the best brands always have a familiar component to them. Humans resist too much change at once, your new offerings must fall within a reasonable locus outside of your audience’s comfort zone. Just like the dancer in the video was performing very simple “dance” moves with his arms and legs, the value that your brand offers should be easily understood by your target demographic with the necessary steps to participate clearly outlined.

3-Nurture your first few customers. These are your brand evangelists.
Make sure that you nurture your first few customers as equals. Make everything about the movement you’re trying to create with your product, and not about your brand. Humans love to feel part of something, so make sure you’re not putting yourself on a pedestal looking down at your peons.

4-Be public.
If your aim is to build a strong following for your brand, you must show off your customers as much as possible. The world needs to see the movement in action. In the video, everyone sitting on the lawn was able to see the crowd growing and gaining momentum, this is key.

Creating a movement energizes your brand’s efforts. We can take cues from many situations in life, even a dancing nut. Observe, Absorb, Employ.