Charlie Creative Blog

Good branding means tending to the market, your customers, your identity and the media. These elements shift from time to time for various reasons. You need to know how they shift and when to shift with them. Think of it this way. You’re standing behind your four-year-old daughter pushing her on a swing. You send her out and watch as she swings back to you. You send her out again. You measure the strength of your push by her reaction. Is she smiling and having fun? Next time you push a little harder. That one is better. Now she’s laughing. That’s where you want her: excited, having fun, feeling adventuresome and safe in your care. Do that with all aspects of your brand and it will feel well tended. Your brand will feel fresh, strong and loved.

If you’re going to communicate effectively you’re going to have to listen to your audience more often. You’re going to have to keep up with how they see your brand. Not last quarter. How do they see your brand today? When you know what your customers think you know what to say, how to say it, and where and when to say it so they hear you. Ask them what your brand means. Act on facts. Otherwise you’re throwing your money away on a one-sided conversation, hoping they’ll respond while you yell at a wall. That’s a tough way to make friends. Reach out and research. It’s fun. You’ll make friends, woo clients and your brand message will speak to real people. Not bad for a little friendly conversation.

You wouldn’t express your brand message the same way on a billboard as you would on the screen of a digital kiosk. Different media have different functions and effects. But that doesn’t mean you change your brand message. It means you apply it to various media in appropriate ways. You can’t see radio and you can’t hear a print ad—unless you rip it. Figure out the most effective way to express your brand message in the media you use. But first, choose media that your audience will experience. If your audience lives in Minnesota and 89% of them get their style advice from obscure Japanese websites do you really want to invest in a sponsorship at a shop in the local mall? Market where your market is. Choose the media they use. Apply your brand message in an appropriate way for the media. Thank you!

Your brand is driven by your vision and your values. Your values emerge from who you are and how you express yourself through your business. That’s what makes you different from your competition. Loads of small businesses struggle when they search for a brand message, but if you consistently express your values to your ideal market through your business you already have a unique brand. If your brand appeals to the people you choose to serve you have a good brand. A good brand is inherently authentic. That’s what makes it unique. The best brands send a consistent message in every context. They’re satisfying because they meet unique expectations.

When you order chocolate, you don’t want vanilla. You want chocolate. Same thing with brands. If you make your chocolate brand taste like vanilla you confuse everyone. And you make them angry. There’s no benefit to changing your brand flavor. Instead, be consistent. If you think consistency is boring consider this: Boring is what people buy. How bored are you when you crave chocolate? Not very. You’re excited. When you want chocolate chocolate is thrilling. And it better not taste like vanilla.

In a healthy relationship, each person is unique and whole. They don’t need each other. They choose each other. They come together because together they’re getting a little fun out of life. Good brands work that way, too. Every product and service stimulates a unique feeling or perception in a consumer’s mind. And that’s a good thing. People make their best choices when they can tell the difference between offers. They buy right the first time, their expectations are met, and they feel good. Take a look at each of your products or services. How can you emphasize the differences between them so people buy smart and feel good about you?

How much would you expect to pay for a pillow—the kind you sleep on—if it was stacked along with others like a bag of rice or beans? What if the same pillow was packaged in a shiny box with an interesting story about the history of pillows and how this one was made and why it’s superior? And how about if the same pillow was wrapped in fine cotton, tied with a silk ribbon and had a phone number you could call before you buy to talk to people who own this style of pillow? Crazy, right? But would you expect to pay more or less for the same pillow? When you price your product or service it tells a story. That story needs to match your brand message. Avoid confusing messages—like selling lipstick at a garden center. People don’t buy when they’re confused. But your offer will feel right when your product, promotion and price match your brand story.

How many ways can you reach your market? Email, websites, search engines, sales pages, online communities, viral messages, word of mouth, direct mail, audio and video broadcasts, articles and blogs like this one to name a few. But each of these requires a different marketing approach. Plus the perception of your brand changes depending on where, when, how and why people experience it. How can you keep all this straight? Join your customers. Experience what they experience. Ask yourself how you’d feel about your marketing message if it came to you through the mail, during a seminar, or on the side of a bus. Be aware of what shapes people’s perceptions and get the most from the media you’re using. Keep your message clear and one last thing… No matter what the media, don’t change your message. Consistency breeds trust.

Good branding is like a friendship. If you keep your word, help people, do your job well, wash behind your ears, stay healthy, honest and authentic… People will be your friend. All you have to do is choose the people you want to work with and get to know them. No. I mean really get to know them. Ask them what they’re working on; where, why, when and how they do it. Take an interest. Let them know you care and offer to help them accomplish what they’re doing. Show them how you can help. The truth is, people don’t need your product or service, but when they know you care about them they’ll take an interest in how you can help. There’s no trick to good branding because you can’t fake it. You just do what comes naturally and if it feels good it probably is good. Enjoy.