The answer: define the brand purpose of the business – an ownable point of view which delivers genuine value to consumers. It is also often referred to as the brand story. In short, it is the intention of the business as envisioned by its founders. It is not enough just to make a brand promise of low prices, good products or services – it is no longer what separates one brand from another, it is through having a defining brand purpose.
As 2018 run into the 2nd business quarter, it may be the best time to consider reviewing how successful the brand positioning strategy defines the brand as “ownable” – what is the actionable impact of the brand and how does it influence the lives of its target market. It resides at the juncture of what the brand offers the world and its intended target customer’s deepest cares and desires.
Why is it important to businesses? It is proven that “me too” companies struggle and fail vs. business that can connect and engage their target customer with their brand story. Engagement is the new gold currency in branding. This is simply because a brand is the relationship the target market or public have with the brand, including their thoughts and feelings (also often referred to as perception).
Their relationship with the brand is what will develop into brand loyalty and later brand insistence, the sweet spot any brand would like to be in. The intention of the brand is the key. Think of Apple or Nike both selling a lifestyle and not a product. Their customers insist on their products and they bought into the brand intention (or story).
There are two foundational questions that should be posed to establish the purpose statement. Firstly, what is the brand’s ultimate reason for being? And then, If the brand had to disappear tomorrow, what gap would there be? Working on the purpose statement will support aligning the brand with its brand purpose. A company whose employees can answer this question: “Why are we here?”, will also be the brand that makes stronger connections with consumers in search of solutions to life’s new challenges.
The importance of building a brand on a purpose, not simply a promise, is also critical to help employees, or associates, in fact, all stakeholders understand why “they are here.” The key is to work on an internal communications strategy that engages employees to understand their reason for being, and then the reason for being at work. It needs to clarify their roles and signify their intrinsic value to the organisation. Get the in-house in order, as this is where true brand reputation is born.
Looking at the external brand communication strategy, considering we live in a content-saturated landscape. People don’t have time, they are over stimulated with content from all angles and the window is less than eight seconds to capture and engage them. With this in mind, people care only about the “why.” Why must they trust, try, engage, care, want and share with your brand? Forget about positioning brands around the benefits and ‘what’ it is; focus on this approach, the core is always the “why” – the very reason for the business and brand’s existence.
Ensure the why is communicated first in the brand message so that it can resonate with the intended audience. Secondly, unpack the “how” it does what it does – this is what makes the brand different (also often referred to as the business blueprint). Other tactics of thinking are to highlight the pain or problem and connect how the brand offers an answer or solution.
Now that the audience can make an emotional connection with why it matters to them, their lives, family, friends or their business, they will be engaged and listen to what exactly it is that will solve, impact or improve themselves or their business.
