As I mentioned in last week’s post about “The New Normal,” I attended a Vistage CEO conference and was fortunate to hear Sasha Strauss, a brilliant speaker on strategic brand development and its guiding principles. Here at TRG we’ve been following similar guidelines in developing brand identities and building customer loyalty. They’re all basic building blocks for any healthy, sustainable relationship, and I am pleased to share them below.
Principle #1
Just as in parenting, don’t assume you know everything. Give yourself permission to not know and to start from the beginning.
Principle #2
Have empathy by understanding and listening. Ask yourself, who is the buyer and what do they need? Put your own identity aside and feel what your audience needs/wants.
As an example we did this for one of our clients, SunMaid, for their Back-to-School Promotion. We researched what Moms wanted for their children in school, resulting in a concept with interactive learning.
Principle #3
Advocate and celebrate who your consumers are, the way they live, what are their stresses in life. Show the world you believe in that customer and are there for them.
Principle #4
Invest in the relationship with your customer. It’s a journey that you can go on together, where they feel understood and celebrated through your brand.
We created a bond between the target audience and Hallmark Channel’s Cedar Cove using the popular new miniseries’ intriguing characters and storylines with personal feel-good rewards and prizes.
Principle #5
Be specific and give them information that is relevant and speaks directly to the buyer. Don’t be afraid to modify and tailor your message to a targeted audience.
With Hyundai Motor America, we were tasked with a B2B Service Recruitment site showcasing Hyundai’s commitment to training and hiring qualified Veterans.
Principle #6
Teach. Consumers are open to learning and buyers are looking to learn, not to be “sold.” If you can teach them something they value, then they come to rely on your brand. Put sales aside and use education for business development.
Principle #7
Care. More and more brands and companies are turning to corporate philanthropy to engage their customers and promote brand awareness. It builds stronger relationships and shows you care about what your consumers care about. Give back, whether it’s with volunteerism, dollars or employee involvement. Serving the community goes a long way with your consumers.
Personally, I feel incredibly blessed and continue to give back to our community. I believe that more companies should tie their marketing efforts to philanthropic ones. One such campaign was Brookside’s Giving Back with Chocolate. While the direct sell was unbelievably decadent chocolate super fruit packs, donations were made to local charities across several markets.
