Direct Selling: Tactical Branding
Deliver a consistent, familiar customer experience
September 2007 By Brent Niemuth
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It commonly is accepted in business today that a strongly defined brand is one of a company’s greatest assets and actually can accelerate performance. It has the power to take a company and its products or services from an unknown commodity to a position of strength in the marketplace. You can achieve this by carving out a unique position among your competitors and standing for something relevant in the mind of the consumer.
But once you have done the hard work of establishing a unique point of difference and creating a distinct personality that truly makes your brand memorable, how do you bring it to life in your marketing efforts? It helps to think of your brand as a real person … literally.
Think of an old friend, perhaps a college roommate or someone you trust with your best secrets. Someone who would do anything for you, and you would gladly return the favor. Your relationship is based on loyalty and trust, and you share common values. You probably can picture her very clearly in your mind, because chances are, she’s changed very little over the years. A brand should be just like that familiar friend: reliable, steady and consistent.
Now, imagine seeing that same friend at a party, but you have to look twice because she’s changed her appearance dramatically and she no longer acts the same. She even speaks differently. She suddenly treats you like a stranger, and it feels as if you don’t have anything in common. When you see her the next day at the grocery store, she’s changed yet again. You hardly recognize her this time, and it seems as if all the good times you’ve shared in the past suddenly are meaningless.
Unfortunately, this is the way many brands behave. They change their appearance every time they come in contact with customers, and their behavior is unpredictable at best. There is nothing familiar about them, and they wonder why they have a difficult time building loyalty.
To avoid this problem, you must bring your brand to life in your direct marketing efforts by developing a consistent experience that your customers will find familiar and comforting.
Identify All Consumer Touchpoints
Before you create any marketing materials, first identify all the various brand touchpoints your customers will come in contact with. These touchpoints might include your catalog, Web site, postcards, letter packages, e-mail, retail and advertising. Put yourself in the shoes of your customers, and take a look at your brand from all of these various perspectives. Remember, as marketers we tend to judge these channels individually, creating different messages for each medium. But your audience doesn’t look at them in a vacuum, considering the Web site experience separately from a postcard. Customers simply look at each touchpoint as another chance to interact with your brand. To them, it all should feel seamless.
But once you have done the hard work of establishing a unique point of difference and creating a distinct personality that truly makes your brand memorable, how do you bring it to life in your marketing efforts? It helps to think of your brand as a real person … literally.
Think of an old friend, perhaps a college roommate or someone you trust with your best secrets. Someone who would do anything for you, and you would gladly return the favor. Your relationship is based on loyalty and trust, and you share common values. You probably can picture her very clearly in your mind, because chances are, she’s changed very little over the years. A brand should be just like that familiar friend: reliable, steady and consistent.
Now, imagine seeing that same friend at a party, but you have to look twice because she’s changed her appearance dramatically and she no longer acts the same. She even speaks differently. She suddenly treats you like a stranger, and it feels as if you don’t have anything in common. When you see her the next day at the grocery store, she’s changed yet again. You hardly recognize her this time, and it seems as if all the good times you’ve shared in the past suddenly are meaningless.
Unfortunately, this is the way many brands behave. They change their appearance every time they come in contact with customers, and their behavior is unpredictable at best. There is nothing familiar about them, and they wonder why they have a difficult time building loyalty.
To avoid this problem, you must bring your brand to life in your direct marketing efforts by developing a consistent experience that your customers will find familiar and comforting.
Identify All Consumer Touchpoints
Before you create any marketing materials, first identify all the various brand touchpoints your customers will come in contact with. These touchpoints might include your catalog, Web site, postcards, letter packages, e-mail, retail and advertising. Put yourself in the shoes of your customers, and take a look at your brand from all of these various perspectives. Remember, as marketers we tend to judge these channels individually, creating different messages for each medium. But your audience doesn’t look at them in a vacuum, considering the Web site experience separately from a postcard. Customers simply look at each touchpoint as another chance to interact with your brand. To them, it all should feel seamless.
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