Not just the big, flashy kind, like the sudden loss of a major client, or a full-blown PR crisis.
I’m talking about the everyday storms. The quiet revenue dip. The team member who leaves with all your processes in their head. The Instagram algorithm update that tanks your reach. The moment you realise you’re relying on one tactic and it’s just stopped working.
Because here’s the thing:
– A good-looking tree with shallow roots won’t last long in wild weather.
– And a lot of businesses have branding that looks solid above ground, but crumbles when things get hard.
That’s why I come back to this analogy so often.
The roots, the trunk, the branches – it’s the clearest way I know to explain how brand clarity, marketing strategy, and sustainable business growth actually work together.
And why your brand can’t just be a moodboard. It has to be a backbone.
Roots = Strategy
Your strategy is the root system of your marketing. If it’s strong, if it goes deep, it can hold your entire business steady. If it’s shallow or disconnected, your growth will always feel fragile. Unpredictable. Exhausting.
It’s a bit like a gum tree – tall, impressive, looks unshakeable… until a storm hits. Gum trees are strong, but they’re also known for dropping branches without warning. When the roots don’t anchor deep enough, even the healthiest-looking tree can cause chaos when the pressure’s on.
Roots aren’t glamorous. They’re not the part that gets complimented. But without them, it doesn’t matter how glossy your leaves are. The first strong gust and you’re done.
This is your positioning, your customer insight, your offer clarity, your brand story. If you don’t know who you’re for, or why they should care, you’re just throwing leaves in the wind.
Trunk = Brand
The trunk is your brand. It’s what people see, and more importantly, what they feel when they engage with your business.
A strong brand is:
- recognisable
- consistent
- rooted in values
- and built with integrity
It holds your business together. It lets you scale. And it’s what your team leans on to make decisions when you’re not in the room.
Gum trees are known for dropping branches in dry conditions, not because they’re weak, but because it’s their way of conserving energy. Some brands do the same. When things get tough, they cut visibility, pull back on communication, or let their message drift. But a strong trunk doesn’t retreat when the weather turns. It holds steady, signals clearly, and gives the rest of the business something to lean on.
Most people jump straight to the branches. They start with social media or SEO or a shiny new website, thinking that’s what “marketing” is.
It’s not.
If your trunk is weak, if your voice changes every time you post, or your values only live in a doc no one reads, you’re vulnerable. Every off-brand post is like someone taking an axe to your tree. A strong brand can take a few hits but a weak one will fall down straight away.
Branches & Leaves = Tactics
Now, this is where most people start.
– One branch might be your website.
– One might be social media.
– One might be SEO, or Google Ads, or partnerships.
Each leaf, like a single post or ad or email, is just a tiny part of the whole. No one tactic will grow the tree. But together, they can create something powerful, if the trunk is strong and the roots go deep.
And if you’ve only got one main branch, like referrals or repeat clients, even a light storm can leave you with nothing. That’s what happens when you build on something narrow. Not wrong, just risky.
So what do storms actually look like?
They’re not always dramatic.
- A supplier increases their prices and your margins vanish.
- Your best team member quits.
- Instagram changes its rules and your lead source dries up.
- You lose interest in the work, or hit burnout.
- A competitor pops up offering a cheaper version of what you do.
That’s the reality of small business. There will be storms.
The question is: will your brand hold?
Where people get it wrong
This is usually the bit that gets missed, and where things start to unravel.
- People chop and change their message every few months.
- They chase trends that don’t align with who they are.
- They outsource to random freelancers who don’t understand their brand.
- They don’t put thought into how all of the things they are doing could / should work together as part of the whole.
- They build out tactics on top of a brand that’s still half-baked.
And then wonder why it all feels shaky.
Marketing without brand clarity is like trying to build a treehouse on a sapling. It might hold for a while, but it won’t scale, and it definitely won’t last.
What to do instead
If this feels a bit close to home – good. That means there’s an opportunity here.
Here’s where I’d start:
- Revisit your brand story and values.
Not the vague filler. The real stuff. What do you stand for? Why should anyone care? - Get clear on who you are, and who you’re not.
It’s okay to narrow in. You’ll grow faster when you stop trying to be everything to everyone. - Align your team and contractors.
If they don’t understand your brand, they’re going to water the wrong tree (or worse take an axe to your hard earned brand). - Choose tactics that make sense for you.
Not just what’s trending. What actually fits your goals, audience, and growth stage?
Strong brands are built before the storm hits
Every brand looks fine on a calm day.
But resilience isn’t built in the spotlight, it’s built underground. In the depth of your strategy. In the consistency of your message. In the quiet, unsexy parts of your business that no one sees.
If you’re feeling like your marketing’s a bit scattered, or you’re growing, but it’s not sustainable, it might be time to check the root system.
Start with your brand. Make sure it can hold.
And if you’re not sure where the gaps are? That’s exactly the kind of work we do.
Let’s take a look at your tree.
(We’ll spot the weak spots before the next storm does.)
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