Relax with TikTok tactics and Facebook shenanigans and all the other social media nonsense.
Stop spending time and money making platforms increasingly richer. (Why pay more for less reach and even less attention? Unless you’ve invested in these platforms, stop giving them money to reach an audience.)
Build an audience that you own. Not one you have to pay more and more money to access. Build your brand on a solid foundation that strengthens over time.
1. Get your brand in front of more people. Why? People are not as loyal as you think they are. Most people shop many brands in most categories for a variety of reasons which rarely have anything to do with price.
2. Gain people’s attention. Obvious? Used to be. But now copywriters, art directors and designers seem intent on making boring advertising that no one notices let alone acts on.
3. Take creative risks. Stands to reason, yes? Then why have agencies become so bureaucratic, lifeless and risk-averse that copywriters, art directors and designers produce such achingly dull work?
4. Make distinctive assets. Logos, colors, packaging, typefaces, sounds, words. They matter more than what you think makes your product different or special. They are the immediate signifiers that enable your brand to stand out.
5. Stay consistent, stay active. If your brand disappears, it can take a long time to rebuild it in people’s minds. Memories are brief. Enable easy recall.
6. Tap emotions. You’re not connecting to algorithms. You’re connecting to humans. Emotions signal you understand and appreciate people’s feelings. Everyone seeks to be understood.
7. Motivation. If you work at P&G you call it End-Benefit Visualization (EBV). If you work anywhere else just show people what it’s like to have used the product successfully.
Keep it simple. Don’t get distracted by the latest and supposed greatest technology.
Stick to the sure and true.