FIVE BRAND BUILDING BLOCKS FOR 2015
2015 is all about finding a way to allow your brand to evolve.
There has never been a better time to look at how you can move with the times and focus on what you can change for the better. You don\’t have to be perfect, you just have to be a perfect fit for your client and their problems.
You need to talk and act like a real person, which means showing your flaws – but that\’s okay, as long as you have a plan. I don\’t get everything right and I will tell you what my shortcomings are but I generally have a plan to make up for them.
Your PR and marketing plan can be built upon FIVE BRAND BUILDING BLOCKS that cover everything from customer service to the vision for your company and the attitude you employ on a daily basis. Here\’s what you need to focus on in 2015…
Lose the jargon. Just get real!
You have to talk and act like a real person. Be someone who is easily identifiable as the expert in their field and don\’t mask your undoubted expertise by trying to be something you are not. For example, if you want dating advice, don\’t take advice from a monk or a nun or someone who hasn’t been successful at it. Take it from someone who has actually dated because you need that advice to be current and that also works with today\’s climate. Also, cut out the smoke and mirrors, cut out the jargon and cut out the gobbledegook. If that means serving a niche, well great. A niche market is a market that can be easily targeted and served well. So get real, be authentic and treat your customers as if they are real people too.
Be flawed but have a plan…
This is key to brand building. I don\’t get everything right – heck, nobody gets everything right but I will make sure to tell you that, and I always have a plan to make up for my shortcomings. If you need something that I can\’t give, I will find someone professional and reliable who can. Don\’t be afraid to tell your clients, “We can do a, b and c but we will source out d” because that is what works best. You are not perfect but you do have to be perfect for your customers. I
And it\’s a two way street; as easily as I can spot a customer, I can spot someone who isn\’t right for my brand or me. Nobody expects perfection, and not everyone is the right fit.
Infuse joy and humor into your work…
Come on, let\’s have some fun! We all work hard but everyone deserves a smile, a laugh or a light-hearted moment in his or her day. Try to be entertaining because that will infuse your clients with a joy that will last a long, long time, and give you instant currency. Entice them with your humor, your good grace and exceptional wit, and you are onto a winner.
Listen to your customers!
Oh yes, you have to keep your eyes and ears open because your client is powerful and can easily spread the word. No one wants to hear criticism or critique but if you can really listen, you will be all the more powerful for it. Why? Because if people care enough about you to offer criticism, it means they care about your brand. So suck some humble pie and listen. Then act on it! Don\’t palm people off with a long round of automated BS. Be human (again, this goes back to my first point about being real) and show that you care enough to strengthen your brand through humility and close attention to your client\’s needs and wants.
Allow your story to evolve…
Allow for change because so many people don\’t. Remember Blockbuster? They should have been Netflix but they didn\’t move with the times. They had the market but they didn\’t see where the story was heading. If you\’re sticking to the same story that you\’ve been telling for five or ten years then you are long overdue an update. Your brand story must change with the times because the world around us changes constantly. Your customers will not follow you if you stagnate. Change isn\’t easy but as soon as you say you can\’t do it, you\’ve already lost. If you can\’t get rid of your business cards because you had a bunch printed, then you are making all the wrong choices for the wrong reasons. I can understand why people don\’t want to change; it\’s uncomfortable but it\’s a necessary part of your brand evolution. So don\’t be Blockbuster, learn to evolve.
And if you can\’t do this for yourself, call us for a brand analysis. Black Ink PR can ensure your story is real, that it is strong and that it is what your customer needs right now.
