We’re moving house next week and it doesn’t feel at all real. We’ve spent the past three weeks joyfully throwing things out, clearing out cupboards and drawers (not so joyfully) and generally tidying up. Most of our possessions are now boxed up and lining the walls and everywhere is looking tidier than it has in a while. I’m not sure why we don’t always live like this, I think we will in our next home.
One thing that has struck me whilst clearing and tidying is the uncovering of possessions that I would have used if I’d known they were there! A bike lock for the kids bikes, a clever machine to get lint off your clothes, a holder for the grill pan, drawer dividers, spare change, hoards of stationery and half empty note books.
It made me think about how I’ve rushed around, going out to buy a new this or that when what I needed was actually right under my nose.
Marketing a brand can be like that. Seeking out a new fangled, expensive strategy to give a brand a strategic advantage isn’t always necessary. You might already have what you need, you simply need help to uncover it and use it.
We have a process that helps brands to uncover purpose and use it. We call it “BELIEF, BELONG, BEST and BEYOND” and it will help your brand find its voice, discover purpose, build a following, establish community, gain the right kind of attention, fulfil purpose and create legacy.
Uncover your purpose At our brand marketing agency, Cre8ion we help brands to uncover and clearly define their purpose and then communicate it clearly to their audience. In our workshop we prioritise purpose (in the BELIEF section) and help entrepreneurs and business leaders to uncover their ‘Why’. Every brand has purpose, but time and again we find that it has never been articulated or used as part of a marketing strategy. It shouldn’t just be a detail in an About section, it should be front and centre of your brand offering. Incidentally, we also offer a £99 Heartset course to individuals to help people to uncover purpose in their own lives.
Why is it important to make your ‘Why’ the driving force behind your business? Well, your business is way more impactful if the vision informs strategy rather than focus being simply on selling more of the product or service. Also, the purpose will encapsulate the values and culture of your company and thus easier for staff and clients to understand, remember and adopt.
Your purpose (your Why) will always be about the impact you wish to have on the lives of others, and in the case of brands, that will usually be your customers and their clients /families as well as on the rest of the planet in the long run. By and large, people nowadays want to deal with corporate entities that do the right thing by the planet and by other people. (We can help you double down on the legacy you want your business to leave in the BEYOND section of the workshop).
Get to know your audience better Having uncovered purpose, our workshop will help you to double down on exactly who your customers are (in the BELONG section), what they are struggling with and how you can help them. We’ll help you to gather data about your customers and their needs, and when this dovetails with the vision you have to make a difference…well, the rest is history! Not only are you targeting a specific need but you’ve integrated your brand values into your products and services.
Understanding each segment of your market will give you the insight into which different media strategies and marketing approaches are the most relevant and you can adapt your messages to communicate most effectively with them.
Get your messaging right Our workshop helps you to get your brand messaging right (in the BEST section), and when it flows out of that central purpose it will be consistent. The messaging is ‘make or break’ as people respond to empathy, compassion and warmth, and will easily spot fakery. The cold sell, the hard sell or the spammy approach drive potential and existing customers away.
Consistency of brand messaging builds people’s trust, (they know what to expect) and great brands are built on trust and belief. It’s the belief of communities of people who have felt empowered by what a brand has to offer and now they trust in the brand and are even willing to advocate it to others.
Now social media connects consumers in a way that allows brands to collaborate with customers and interact more easily with their community, so spreading your message and building a community via digital means doesn’t have to cost the earth. We can help you create content and a schedule for your social media too.
Revive your database In fact, on the subject of uncovering and using things that you didn’t know you had, how about an inactive database? If you have a list of email addresses with whom you have previously corresponded, you can turn it into an active community who talk about your brand. We can show you how to do this and even be there to help you run a challenge to help your growing community. If you shrink from appearing live on camera to your audience (don’t worry, most people do), or need help with filming or digital support behind the scenes during the challenge, we can support you every step of the way.
Switch to digital And finally, on the topic of making use of what you already have to market your products or services, how about taking your brand offering and pivoting to make it available via digital means? Many companies had to switch to digital methods during the pandemic and it profoundly changed our buying habits. Maybe your brand already has a faithful following but it could benefit from having an app to make it more accessible to your audience. We can help you with this too. Our sister company, Di9ital, specialises in mobile apps and have developed a simple process to help businesses create great, branded digital apps rapidly.
To uncover purpose, send out the right messages via social media, revive an existing database or take your brand to new heights with a custom built app, please do get in touch, we’d be excited to help you… as soon as we’ve moved house!
If you are looking for outstanding care and activities for your children in the Bristol area this academic year, why not pop over to MYSHINE’s new site (designed by Cre8ion, built by Di9ital) and see what’s available near you?
Visit the live site today by clicking the image above.