As I write this blog I am inspired by a few things; the capacity we as human beings have of being brave in our lives and dealing with the challenges we face (inspired by a certain someone I know!) and also by the lovely season that we are now in.
Brave
Every autumn I think the same thing and, no, it’s nothing innovative, but it’s such good food for thought.
Out with the old and in with the new.
It’s strategic planning time for many companies out there and we could all be inspired by autumn. Every year leaves fall down, giving space for the new ones to appear in spring. In marketing, it works a bit like that too. We can repeat what we have always done or we can be brave.
But what does it mean being brave in marketing? Well, it can mean many things and it will depend on what your brand is trying to achieve. For example, you just started a business. You may be brave by venturing and taking your brand online. You may have a very well established brand, so you may be brave by spicing things up a little. You may have become stagnant and sales have dropped, so being brave in your case might mean creating something new: a new variation of a product, a new feature of a service.
And then, of course, marketing it right.
Here’s a few things you can do…
See it through their eyes
Think of your brand through the eyes of the people that use it (or have contact with it). Are you getting your key messages out there? Is there an innovative way you can use to communicate with your audience? Where do they go, what do they like? Do you really really know them? Think about it. Now think twice.
Write right
When it comes to giving your brand personality, think of the collateral you produce. Think of your tagline. Think of the copy on your website. If you sell stuff, think of the packaging. Isn’t it nice when there is a bit of quirkiness in it? Add that in. Be brave with words. People like to read a nice piece of copy that has been crafted especially for their benefit. Cool copy is brave.
Think big
Get your brand advocates excited by having big goals for your brand. World domination? Why not? A brand, when well looked after, is very powerful. Spend the time working on what exactly you want to say. Make sure all your channels are displaying a consistent message, look after your clients and, well, shoot for the stars. You know what they say…. If you don’t try, you’ll never know.
Get inspired
Look around you and try and connect things. One of the latest creative challenges we have had here at the agency was to connect random things… A desk with a lolly, a cushion with a lamp, a cloud with a piece of paper. Considering we do these challenges on a Monday morning, I have to say that I was actually impressed with the outcome. It’s funny how creative we can be if we just try. Give that a go with your brand elements. Brainstorm with a difference that is. And I bet wonderful ideas will arise.
Plan ahead
It’s all well and good to really want to be brave and take your brand onto that next level. But absolutely NOTHING will happen if you don’t plan ahead. Sorry, but this is just how it is. We all have little dreamers inside of us, but how great is it when we get to transform dreams into reality? You can do that, your brand can be all it’s meant to be. If you put the time to plan ahead when it comes to your strategy. And of course, if you need help with this bit, you know where we are!
Take autumn as your reminder to get your brand naked and dress it again. Or to just change its bow tie. Or to give it a full body buff, put it on a diet and a on brand new bikini when summer is upon us again. It won’t be (that) long, so get started now!
Marilia Spindler is an Account Manager and creative thinker at Happy Creative, a strategic marketing and branding agency based in Blackpool, Lancashire. To learn more or contact us please go to www.happy-creative.co.uk.
