I was speaking to a local business yesterday. It’s the second business in the same industry to contact me this week. And from our conversations, I noticed both businesses seem to be struggling against the competition and it seems to be really making an impact as winter approaches.
After our phone calls, I realised that there’s an even deeper problem. And it’s not the competition with its big-budget corporate marketing strategies.
The Problem
Over the last 18 months ago or so, the competition has re-branded under huge, worldwide franchises. This means that they now have the resources — team, money, experience, consumer data, branding, and expertise — to drive sales and thwart local agencies.
Starting to feel the impact and the strain caused by the competition, these local businesses reached out to me for help in their marketing efforts. As I reflect on our conversations, there’s something I realised.
The Root of Cause of the Problem
After our phone calls, I realised that there’s an even deeper problem. And it’s not the competition with its big-budget corporate marketing strategies. The root cause of the problem is internal. None of them showed interest in long-term marketing strategies. All they wanted was to scratch the surface — get leads and generate sales the quickest and easiest way possible.
They may win the battle with this strategy but will they win the war?
Marketing Your Business for Success
Let me ask you a question: Why do you market?
Do you market for awareness?
Do you market for leads?
Do you market for sales?
or…
Do you market for success?
Every successful business owner will tell you that it’s not always about the dollar. For most of them, success means growing the company, creating more impact, and dominating a market. That’s why many of them don’t just market for awareness, leads, and sales — they market for success. And here’s how I think it should be done.
Identify Your Brand’s Purpose
Why you do what you do. Identifying your brand’s purpose should be your number one step in marketing for success. Many businesses understand this perfectly on paper but only a few apply this in their organisations.
Years of experience in marketing taught me that many businesses know WHAT they do (e.g. selling cars, houses). Many also know HOW they do it (e.g. we create high-quality products, we have personalised packaging). But only a few know WHY they do it.
Having a clear brand purpose allows your business to:
- Stand up for a belief that adds value to the consumers, society, or environment;
- Stand out from the competition by having a greater sense of focus on long-term strategies and the ultimate goal; and
- Create a strong workplace culture that resonates with employees, customers, investors, and stakeholders.
Some examples of a clear, powerful brand purpose:
“Create a world where beauty is a source of confidence, not anxiety.” – Dove
“To inspire moments of optimism and happiness” – Coca-Cola
“To motivate every athlete in the world” – Nike
Position Your Brand
Do you remember Gerard Butler’s movie 300 where a handful of Spartan soldiers held off an entire Persian army in the narrow corridor of Thermopylae? That’s the power of strategic positioning — a highly regarded military tactic that is also true in business.
The government business website defines positioning as “…trying to occupy a market niche or impression of your business in your customers’ mind. It’s about defining how you want your customers to think about your products and services.”
Let’s look at how positioning affects your business.
When Apple released the iPod and iTunes, Dell attempted to get a share of the music market by developing and launching their own mp3 player. They had the hardware, technology, and money to succeed. But they failed and eventually quit, clearing the battlefield for Apple.
Why do you think they failed? While there are a lot of factors involved, I believe that their brand positioning is partly to blame. Dell is one of the biggest computer manufacturers on the planet. And they positioned themselves as such — a computer manufacturer. So in their customers’ minds, it doesn’t make sense to buy music from a computer maker.
Apple, while also a computer manufacturer, positioned themselves as a lifestyle brand and an innovator. So products from them — be it MacBooks, iPhones, iPods, or Apple TV —is always a welcome sight. Apple future-proofed their brand.
Employ a Marketing Manager or Consultant
“It doesn’t make sense to hire smart people and then tell them what to do; we hire smart people so they can tell us what to do.” – Steve Jobs
One of the biggest mistakes a business leader can make is assuming that he knows everything. Successful leaders thrive through delegation and working with people who know what they are doing.
Marketing consultants have the skillset and expertise to help you market for success. They can help you in areas like:
- Researching your target market;
- Developing a short-term and long-term marketing strategy;
- Employing the right marketing collaterals — web content, fliers, brochures, scripts, white papers, etc. — to support your marketing goal;
- Helping you identify your brand’s purpose;
- Identifying your brand personality; and
- Positioning your brand.
Understanding the Big Picture
Now back to where we started. The 3 key elements I’ve discussed above will all fall into place if you know what your ultimate goal is. Is it simply just to make a few thousand dollars? Or is it to rise against the competition and succeed? I believe it’s the latter.
There is no such thing as overnight success. The big brands and multi-billion companies out there once started as fledgling organisations. They have risen to dominate their respective industries through hard work, identifying their purpose and sticking with it, strategic positioning, and employing marketing professionals and consultants who know how to take their businesses to the next level.
Do you need help in developing cost-effective, long-term marketing strategies for your business? Get in touch with us.