Unleash the True Value of Marketing and Crush Your Competition

How can you secure a marketing approach that sets your brand apart?  Many still cling to the notion that they must have a one-of-a-kind product with one-of-a-kind features and a one-of-a-kind sales team for success.

Wrong.

Consider the following anchor points for your next marketing push and get ready to crush your competition.

Reconnect to Your Core Values: 

Identify and commit to what your brand’s core values are.  Remember when Starbucks released their holiday red cup it seemed people were in a mass uproar?  But upon further review, it became quite apparent that Starbucks acted in precise alignment to their brand’s core values, “which encourages inclusiveness, diversity and kindness, which, frankly, are what the holidays are all about,” said Reed Handley, account director at Bliss Integrated Communication.  Remaining authentic and devoted to your brand’s core values is your brand at its best.

Understand the Consumer as a Person:

Create relationships with your consumers.  Listen to their feedback through surveys, social media fill-in-the-blank questions, etc.  Stay connected as to why your consumer chose your brand in the first place?  What need did your brand fill?  Which solution did you provide?  For example, “Amazon’s product of accessibility, functionality and customer experience all converge to create a strong brand that consumers trust,” Brad VanAuken, chief brand strategist for The Blake Project consultancy reports.  “Who would turn down a superior purchase experience?” VanAuken added.

Design the Shopping Experience: 

It is not just about having to use a calculator to keep track of all your new customers.  No, it is about designing a purchasing experience for your customers that they will want to re-experience.  Case in point, “Target makes a real effort to provide an enjoyable shopper experience, but you still get quality merchandise at a good price,” says branding consultant Rob Frankel.  “As a part of their brand persona, they make an effort to be warm and human, and that resonates with people and drives them to embrace the brand,” Frankel clarified.

Wield the Power of Emotion:

Are you selling a product or an emotion?  Branding consultant, Jim Stengel explains how Coca-Cola sells happiness, “Everything Coca-Cola does is inspired by this idea of, how do we promote, develop and create happiness.”  Add a sense of their humble beginnings with a respect of those who have gone before them, and BOOM, a brand loved and adored by all.  Be proactive about the emotion you are trying to inspire in your brand lovers.

Sprinkle with a Little Genius:

Always be on the lookout for doing things a little different.  Robert Allen Entrepreneur contributing writer recommends to extend a one-time credit to your subscriber’s accounts; a sample email message could look like this:

“Hey NAME,

I wanted to do something special for you this month.

I’m crediting your account $XX for the next seven days.  You can use this credit toward [XXXProduct].

There’s no catch.  It’s just a gift to you, as a subscriber.  If you decide not to use it though, it will expire in seven days.”

Allen says this marketing strategy helps you capitalize on reciprocity, too.

Lastly, maybe free isn’t really all the rave.  Consumers are smart and have caught on that free doesn’t always mean it has value.  Ask yourself, “Does this bring value to my customer?”  If you can answer yes without reservation, press the ‘GO’ button!

#CompetitionCrusher