Re-Imagine Your Brand, Part I: Catering to Emotions
February 26, 2008
By Jeff Schmitt
Imagine. It is probably the most potent word in the English language. And, in marketing, imagination is key to your success.
Emotion Notion
Your brand is more than a pithy slogan or bouncy logo. Brand is your customers' emotional connection to your solutions and people. It is based on feelings customers associate with repeat exposure to you. With each interaction, you must deliver on two implied promises: you will meet their needs and provide a positive experience.
In branding, your objective is to tap into your customers' emotional needs. Whether you appeal to desires for status, acceptance, security or stimulation, your customers must connect fulfillment with you. After any interaction, your customers should be thinking: "These people understand who I am and the challenges I face. They share my values and dreams. They genuinely care about me." They must intuitively correlate your solution with value. They must regard time spent with you as enriching.
The Branding Blues
Ultimately, the objective of branding is establishing preference. When a solution is truly branded, customers don't consider other alternatives when they buy.
Of course, the high-speed transient nature of modern commerce makes branding difficult. According to Adweek, Americans are exposed to up to 3000 advertising messages a day. This makes it difficult to lodge your message. Even more, the sheer volume of messages means you are battling for attention with advertisers who are not your direct competitors.
In addition, rabid competition is shortening product life spans and minimizing brand differentiation. Competitors can quickly adjust prices, features and distribution channels, often customized to fragmented markets. Many times, it is not the best solution that thrives; it is the one with the best infrastructure and marketing behind it. The survivors are the branded solutions—the ones that embed themselves in consumers' lexicon, comfort zones and day-to-day lives.
Re-imagine Your Brand
If you don't define who you are, your customers—with the aid of market forces and competitors—will eventually define what you aren't. Obviously, you can't be everything to everyone. However, how can you keep your brand stay fresh, relevant and vigorous? How do you re'imagine your brand as demographics and social mores shift?
To begin, you must audit your organization. You need to critically examine your industry, customer base, value proposition and core mission. In particular, answer the following macro questions:
• How would customers describe your company's personality? How would they describe your voice?
• What core values define your organization? How do you transmit these values to your customers? Your employees? The public at large?
• What is your brand proposition? Why is it engaging, compelling and meaningful? How does it connect with people?
• List every touch point that your organization has with current and prospective customers. How does each one reflect your brand?
• Describe your general message to customers. What elements remain consistent and fundamental in all communications? What variations do you use based on audience, market and delivery channel?
• Describe the experience your customers should have with your brand?
• What social trends could potentially shape response to your brand? Is your message still appropriate and significant to your target market? Will this target sustain and grow your business, or do you need to broaden your appeal?
• What emerging business and marketing practices align with your brand identity?
• How do you keep in touch with customers? How do these communications add value—as opposed to clutter—to their lives?
• How will you cultivate enthusiasts who will sing your brand's praises to everyone in their circle?
In the early part of this re-imagining process, recognize the following:
• Know Yourself. Think back on your company’s original vision. Who are you now and who do you want to be? Is the latter realistic or even in your best interests? Recognize what distinguishes you and focus on that element.
• Differentiate Yourself. Competitors can quickly duplicate product features, not to mention benefits like fast shipping, low prices and expansive product lines. What can your company offer that is unique? What can you offer that is difficult to replicate and stands the test of time? Identify one or two traits that embody your corporate personality. Amplify these traits and position your company according to them. Create a character or corporate persona—such as Best Buy's Geek Squad or Subway's Jared—that exemplify these traits and integrate it across all channels. Use these "special ingredients" to turn a normal organization into a recognized brand.
• Look Below the Surface. What do people really derive from your solution? For example, consumers don't buy new houses simply for shelter. Rather, the purchase provides a sense of freedom, security or peace to buyers. Always cater to emotions; the intellect simply justifies or cools the emotional inpulse, like a parent confronting a child's whim.
• Be Proactive. Complacency and stagnation will torpedo any brand. Always be assessing your model, market, customers and performance. Challenge yourself and evolve if necessary. Don't take anything for granted.
Editor's Note: Be sure to read Part II, "Re-Imagine Your Brand: Critical Components," for more on branding strategy from salesandmarketingmanagement.com.
Jeff Schmitt has spent 15 years in marketing, consultative sales, project management, client relations and editing. His e-mail is jschmittdbq@mchsi.com.
This article originally appeared in The Tri-State Business Times, a monthly business magazine published by Woodward Communications (www.wcinet.com) and has been reproduced with theirs and the author's permission. This article has been edited for length from the original.
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