It's time to quit looking between the couch cushions for the keys to your target audience. What you should be looking for is your brand and, hint, hint, it's staring back at you in the mirror.
Starbucks CEO, Howard Schultz, had it right when he said, "the most powerful and enduring brands are built from the heart."
DRA loves taking the deep dive, helping businesses, organizations and individuals to build authentic brands that captivate a diverse audience. Here are six ways to boost your brand:
SET GOALS
Every brand needs a vision. It can be big, small, short, hairy—it doesn't matter what your vision looks like as long as it's there. Future goals act as a compass, guiding our decision making through choppy waters, delineating and testing brand standards, and keeping us pointed towards our objectives and in the direction of success.
BE CONSISTENT
If you want to build an enduring trust between yourself and your audience, the message you convey must be compelling, honest, and it has to be delivered with the same voice and intensity every time. Gradually, your consistency becomes your brand's fingerprint on the marketplace. Your target audience begins to take notice because they know they're receiving a message that is coming straight from the heart of your brand.
BE CLEAR
Clarity is a lost art. Depending which way the winds are blowing, it's often tempting to over-extend one's message, trying to be too many things to too many people. Find what it is that sets your brand apart and be that. Own it. You want to make sure there's absolutely no possibility that anyone could misinterpret what it is your brand is about—what it is you do, what you stand for, etc. Clarity then leads to conversion as a clear message will dovetail seamlessly into the consumer thought process.
LISTEN
You can't know your audience if you don't listen to them. Listening to the market, to individual consumers, these are critical exercises in understanding how your business fits into the wider landscape. When it comes to your brand, it's important to use good measurement and research to craft an identity that not only aligns with your message but also with the expectations of your audience. There are certain molds we love to break and certain ways we love to do that, but giving consumers something they don't want or never asked for is not one of them. So listen up!
LEAD
Start conversations. Share insight. Don't be afraid to flaunt real expertise. This builds thought leadership and puts a strong foundation beneath your brand. Embracing a leadership role in your industry positions your business in a space in which it can thrive. It's a space curated expressly by you, enabling you to grow your network in a constructive way around ideas and best practices that that will truly set your brand apart.
GIVE
Giving back to the community is not only a moral imperative but it's a way to build a vision for your audience of the kind of world you want to inhabit. Getting involved in good works is not about showing off at the expense of others. It encourages people to get involved and shows consumers of your brand that when they choose you, they're endorsing and supporting financially a culture of service and a commitment to something greater.
