No Trend of Mine
"If you Ain’t first, you're last"
Words Ricky Bobby lived by, and damn good advice for any brand working on developing its marketing strategy.
Every business owner knows its cutthroat out there — competition is relentless, and margins are thin. You do everything you can to stay relevant — everything except committing to a truly ownable creative & marketing strategy. In fact, rather than deciding on a unique brand voice, messaging hierarchy, and visual guideline, brands often cave to the two most dangerous words in marketing: "Trending Now."
So here's a candid tip — don't do it. Don't give into the easy road of letting a trend muddy the waters of your brand. It's not worth it, and in the long run, it won't work. And if you're a business caught up chasing trends, you're already behind the curve — stuck in a perpetual game of catch-up that you'll never win, and worst of all, is likely sacrificing your core values and brand identity in the process.
So what's the alternative? How exactly do you stay ahead of the competition while avoiding becoming the dreaded trend chaser? Let's dive in and explore the dos and don'ts of brand authenticity.
It's a road that takes confidence, fortitude, and vision, but when done right, it is rewarded with brand loyalty, increased sales, and your dignity...perfectly intact.
Stand Tall
Just like everyone you meet has their own unique character traits or attributes, the same is true with a business working towards being seen as a brand. Too many businesses live in a perpetual identity crisis — never quite sure who they are or what they represent. This state of confusion goes far beyond the obvious factors like how you speak about your products, your images, video, and graphic treatments and goes into the long-term ownership of your market and how you're interpreted within it; by both competitors and your potential customers.
How the outside world views your brand matters, and unlike all those one-of-a-kind people you meet in your personal life, the stakes in business are higher — much higher. You don't get many second chances to connect, inspire, and inform, so the opportunities you have need to be strategic, consistent, and effective.
Set yourself apart from your competitors by standing tall. Here are three of my favorite ways to lay the foundation for consistent brand development:
Create, and stick to a detailed brand guide.
Layout a detailed messaging matrix that summarizes and systemizes your brand's positioning and messaging
Build out a product summary list that outlines essential information about each product or service you offer,
These are three different outlines that, when used in unison, will set the framework for building a cohesive marketing strategy. For more information on how your business can benefit from incorporating these essential marketing tools, call NCITE Creative & Marketing for a no-obligation consultation; at (208) 916-8868.
Embrace Endurance
There's an undeniable reason certain brands have stood the test of time while many others have fallen to the fringe; simplicity. Need some proof? Look to Nike, Apple, Starbucks, Coca-Cola, and even Tesla for case studies. It's not just their logos, taglines, or color schemes; it's their commitment to owning each of those hard-earned attributes and confidently utilizing them in an ecosystem of brand commodities and messaging.
Wait, what? Brand commodities and messaging...what are we talking about here?
Let's break it down — while each of the brands mentioned has modified its marketing to reflect the societal moments of the day, what has remained consistent is the overall interpretation of what a consumer can expect from those brands when engaging with them.
And that consistency translates into the holy trinity of business; loyalty, trust, and sales.
So as a small or medium-sized business, what can you do to ensure that your brand embraces endurance?
Start with keeping the majority of your content and advertising evergreen. Trending topics, fashions, patterns, colors, fonts, and music are only relevant for a short period. Simplicity will help to keep your products and services recognizable while increasing the success of any investment made in advertising.
Additionally, creating content streams with a long, sustainable shelf life is much more impactful from a business standpoint. It's a strategic value proposition that allows your creative & marketing assets to become just that; real, high-value assets.
Be Direct
Let's talk messaging. Often when a business fails to connect with its target market, it isn't the product or the pricing — it's the fact that you haven't meaningfully committed to connecting with your customer.
Your business messaging shouldn't be a guessing game - nor should it be guided solely by an individual and their personal opinions or outlooks. It requires strategy, integrity, and authenticity of storytelling. It also means knowing your audience — your real, human audience and not strictly the algorithms that dictate your search rankings.
Speaking of SEO, yes, it obviously matters, but it's secondary to the main objective - creating content that will connect with and engage the customers who buy your products. True success isn't found by simply outsourcing your SEO to experts but by taking charge and crafting articles (something like the one you're currently reading...) that have depth, thoughtfulness, and honesty.
Be direct — drop the confusing, polarizing, and drab descriptions. Chill out on the search engine obsession and pay attention to giving people what they truly want in a brand - interesting, meaningful content that you can produce from a place of integrity.
Check your Vision
Finally, remember that patience is a virtue, and success with any marketing strategy requires it.
While incorporating trends might produce a quick uptick in sales or engagement, remember that you're not running a race; you're competing in an ultra-marathon. If all you're after are quick wins, you'll likely end up disappointed by your unsustainable results and poor ROI.
Check your vision — and make sure you can see the road ahead. Be prepared for the journey and invest in developing a comprehensive and professional marketing strategy as well as the creative assets required to make it shine. Be patient but measured, and allow all of your efforts to reach their full potential before pivoting.
With the right strategy in place and commitment to developing them over time, the results will begin to show themselves in the form of engagement, awareness, and, most important, sales
