Five essential marketing questions to transform your marketing results. We started with #1–If someone is looking for what you offer, where are they looking?
We continue with #2 …
Have you created memorable branding?
Do you stand out? Instead of being one of many, indistinguishable in a school of identical options, make your visual and verbal brand memorable.
I’m sure you’ve noticed … in many industries there is a sameness to identity systems, websites, colors and overall presentation. Often there is a ‘follow the crowd’ mentality. Although this is safe, it doesn’t break through the clutter you and I see every day.
As a marketer, your goal is to help the right audiences find and choose you when they’re looking for what you provide. How will you do that if you don’t stand out? If you haven’t created memorable branding?
Ask yourself (be fair), if they find you …
Is it clear what you offer, at a glance?
Often website home pages are cluttered with too much information and plenty of choices. It’s hard to distinguish quickly what’s offered and where to go next. Or a retail operation is a confusion of products, colors and displays. These days our brains are overwhelmed with stimulus. It makes us impatient with clutter. Help people see and understand at a glance.
The brand for Waterdog RV is a memorable icon. Colors and design are unlike other RV dealerships.
Then go a step further. Use visuals and messages to stand out, offer something unexpected. Be seen as different and unique. Use copy and messages to enlighten and delight.
Both the visual and verbal brand must work together to inform, delight and cement a place in your viewers, readers or prospect’s mind.
When you’ve accomplished quick recognition, you have the attention you need to help people choose you, your products and services. You’ve created memorable branding.
Does everything connect?
I recently spoke with a manager who was running radio ads for a special promotion and sending listeners to the company website to learn more or sign-up. Yet when a listener lands on the home page of the website, there’s no information that even remotely connects to the promotion, the phrasing used in the ad, or the service being offered.
What is the prospective customer going to do? Likely leave. Or be frustrated with the company because they can’t find the offer. That damages the brand. Remember, perception is reality! Those who have tried to get the offer now have a negative perception of that company and its services.
Marketing dollars are spent to incite action and response. Yet that money is wasted (and the promotion will likely not be successful).
That is not memorable branding. That doesn’t connect the visual and verbal brand to help someone choose what you offer. That’s a big fat fail.
Memorable branding is founded on solid positioning.
Are you positioned for the target audience?
When a visitor does find you, whether offline or online, is the brand designed to connect with your target audience? This could be as simple as the way the text is written, the use of visuals, the flow of information, or the colors used.
If you’re appealing to seniors, large type and long information is acceptable. If you’re reaching high school students, they don’t want to read. They want pictures and actually prefer videos. Incorporate audience perspectives when you’re creating memorable branding.
Wondering if your positioning is clear? It’s tough to create a focused brand if you haven’t identified your positioning–to your audiences and within your category and market. Read more about positioning and how it guides the visual and verbal brand on our website.
Learn more about these essential marketing questions on our blog, subscribe below. Any thoughts or questions? I would love to hear from you!
Your quick links to these essential marketing questions:
1. If someone is looking for what you offer, where are they looking?
2. If they find you, what will they see?
4. Can they quickly see “what’s in it for me?”
You can also download our free positioning worksheet here.
