How many social media sites do you use today to get more followers, friends, likes and comments for your company? The ever-expanding volume of technology and communication channels makes it all too easy to lose sight of the one thing that will truly move the needle: your brand, and how your target audience perceives it.
Today’s power to connect can be used to simply say things, or to put the kind of noise out there that people are trying their best to tune out. Or, it can be used strategically to reach clients in a way they’ll want to remember.
It doesn’t take a high-dollar budget to achieve the same level of emotional connection that brands like Apple or Disney receive. It just takes evoking the right kind of response, leveraging a simple and relevant idea to make the audience feel something.
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In our brand practice, spanning from small tech startups based in Kansas or Iowa to established IT firms headquartered in Missouri or Nebraska, we’ve discovered five reasons that cause Midwest technology brands to fail in making the right connection with their audience (and therefore, fail all together):
They play it safe
Success doesn’t come to those who are afraid to take a risk. Be bold, and lead with what makes you distinctive and memorable, and keep it simple.
For example, see if you can communicate your brand’s difference on the back of a business card. Think about what the simple message is that you can send about your brand that you know people will care about.
Urgency trumps consistency
A common trap, especially as more new people come into a growing company and want to make things fresh, is to respond to what others are doing and not think long term for the brand. Taking the long view can be the difference between wildly successful and wildly off mark. You need to make sure your brand comes first and your branding (brand signals) second. Be different and relevant, yes, but always stay true to your brand.
The audience hasn’t been defined and refined
If everybody is a target, nobody will pay attention. When you make the commitment to narrow your target audience (not down to a few audiences, but to one), you’re not leaving opportunity behind. You’re reaching those who will care the most, creating impassioned champions who will help you get others to love you too. Stay close to your audience and tap into their cultural cues.
The positioning isn’t consumer-centric
The only way to win is to begin with the end goal in mind. Smart brands take a consumer position. When someone is exposed to your brand, what response do you want to evoke? Rethink the traditional response, which is unlikely to lead to action. Maybe your audience wants to feel empowered rather than be sold something.
Being too nice
Great branding doesn’t come without a fight. Every organization has something it needs to overcome, and being too nice won’t get the job done. The competition isn’t always another competitor, it could be a misconception among venture capitalists about your Silicon Prairie firm. And it has to be beat when more than 70 percent of funding is headed to the coasts while innovators are right here.
These five reasons equally apply to any brand trying to achieve success, no matter the size or the cause. What is your brand strategy, and does it avoid these pitfalls?
Before you hit “post” or run your next campaign, think about how the message conveys your difference, and how your target audience will perceive it. Remember, it’s not what you say; it’s what they hear.
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Jeff Madden is a senior brand strategist and expert at helping tech firms and other organizations locate and capitalize on their strategic branding difference. He’s been with Trozzolo Communications Group since 2003.
