A key aspect of successful marketing is differentiation – how to make yourself stand out from not just your competition, but all the other distractions. These distractions may not be direct competition to your product or service, but they do lay down a minefield of obstacles that can keep prospective customers from responding to YOU.
Here are three things to keep in mind. I call them the three “R’s” of good branding:
Resonate – Your message needs to resonate in the mind and heart of your target audience. Your tag line, your central appeal, and your book title needs to not just make sense inside the head of your consumers, it needs to create an image or an emotion.
Why was Chicken Soup for the Soul such a phenomenally popular series of books? Was the wit and wisdom offered in those books really that compelling or different than the thousands of similar books that were published before? Perhaps. But the authors were very smart in creating a title for their book that connected with their audience. Think about it…chicken soup for your soul? It doesn’t even make sense. How many times has your soul cried out for soup of any kind? And yet, when you read or say the phrase, you instinctively get it.
The same is true for John Grey’s book, Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus. The title doesn’t have to make sense…it just has to resonate in the mind and heart of the potential reader.
Repetition – You hear a message over and over and it will tend to have staying power. Think of all the slogans and tag lines that you can recall: We do chicken right; Just do it; Save money, live better; Two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun; Aflac!; Tastes great, less filling. Most of these tag lines you remember because you’ve heard them over and over.
Recall – If you have a tag line or title that resonates with your audience and they hear it enough times, you will create recall or remembering! That’s what companies pay big bucks to creative agencies to come up with. They understand that if consumers can remember their product or service the next time they need it, or simply are out shopping, that will translate into more sales…or if you want to stick with our “R” theme, RESPONSE, or RESULTS, or REWARDS! (Hey, I’m on a roll here.)
So when planning your marketing strategy, book title, campaign theme, or slogan, start with thinking about what will create emotion and resonate in the heart and mind of your consumers. Make sure they have ample opportunity to hear it over and over again. Do the first two “R’s” well and you’ve got a good shot at enjoying the benefits of the second two: recall and results!
If you would like us to help you with your brand strategies, contact us today. We can help you and your team bring a new level of clarity and connection with your consumers!
