Why are there different levels of success for brands that sell the same products? Branding is likely to be the reason.
Each business has its unique look, personality, and tone. Some brands are more noticeable than others and generate more buzz, even when they sell similar products or services.
You must have heard of those successful businesses… You stalk them on Instagram because their content and images are always perfect. Maybe it’s the local shop friends rave about or a must-see online store.
What makes these businesses different?
Branding their gutsy.
Gutsy means to have an idea and follow through on it. It is going against the crowd by doing something no one else does and knowing it may work or fail. To get technical, “gutsy’ is defined as “showing courage and determination.” It’s a willingness and ability to leap in confidence.
Successful marketing and branding campaigns often take risks with the business’s identity. Take salad dressing as an example. Salad dressing is made, manufactured, and sold by thousands of companies. Most companies use the same messaging and labels and sell a good product.
Consider the brand. The label is so simple, yet it grabs your attention. The logo is a simple black-and-white mark placed on a transparent bottle to show the color of the contents. That’s it.
It reflects this simplicity. But instead of telling you why the ranch dressing is so good, it tells its story. The website shows the faces and values of the people behind the brand.
JUST’s gutsy image has been branded by its willingness to do something different. This branding is durable.
Dollars Shave Club is another brand that has paved the way for quirky and candid branding. It was the first brand to break the Internet by showcasing a casual and humorous approach to shaving.
Shaving isn’t everyone’s favorite thing to do. But it’s an everyday necessity for most. We have all used razors we didn’t like, which left us searching the toilet paper for a piece to wipe the blood.
Dollar Shave Club has revolutionized razors by offering a high-quality product at a fraction of the price of other razors. Each month, it shows up on your doorstep with a funny package insert that makes you laugh. This is what turns you into a loyal customer. Dollar Shave Club’s gutsy brand was created by humanizing shaving pain and offering a better experience. This is what makes people relate.
Branding is excellent because any business can use it. Whether you are a small business or an established business looking to reinvent themselves doesn’t matter.
What is your favorite part? Gutsy is a brand that any business can use. How to start?
Tone
When you speak to your customers, it’s possible to relate to them – specifically to their needs or pain. You’ve won a new customer when you make them laugh.
Every brand is different in terms of what it sells and how. Finding your unique voice allows you to connect with your customers at their level. You need to know your audience, their problems, and the solution you will provide.
A snack brand may make fun of the fact that busy moms don’t have time to eat without interruption. It might feature a mom sneaking in a snack while doing laundry, with a headline joking about eating whenever possible.
Real. Speak to them as if they were your friends. Show them the possible solutions to their problems and validate what they are going through.
Visuals
Visuals like tone of voice can be used to communicate with your target audience. Colors, fonts, and images should all be consistent, no matter what platform you use to deliver your message. Visuals can convey a message, either with or without words.
The married mothers in the previous example don’t want images of perfect moms strolling through the park with their morning runs. They want to see moms who are just like themselves, with the same problems. They want to see cereal on children’s faces, clothing on the floor, and a mom in a frenzy with a messy bun. Why? They can relate to the situations they see and feel less alone.
Create visuals that are appealing to your target audience.
Vulnerability
A fictional person wrote a book about how businesses must be perfect. This book created the idea that to succeed in business; you need to have everything under control and never make a mistake.
I love being vulnerable and honest. I can guarantee that business leaders you admire have lost sleep (or even 30 nights of sleep) over a particular problem, idea, or sacrifice.
Share your story with the team and audience. Tell them you are just as genuine and authentic as they are.
Share your story with your audience on your website. Make videos that aren’t always perfect. Allow people to see what happens behind the scenes so that they can better understand. You will gain the respect of many people. Those who don’t want to join aren’t your customers or clients.
Drive
Growing is what separates small coffee shops from national chains. You need to be brave and decide where you want your business to grow. Then, put the right people and resources in place to achieve it.
Admit your faults, and build a team of people with unique abilities– preferably ones you don’t possess. You cannot do everything, and you shouldn’t.
Do it well if you want to remain small and local. You’ll need to work hard if you want your company to become international in three years. Know your goals and be brave enough to stick with them.