Unveil The ONE Hush-Hush Secret of Incredibly Powerful Brands
photo credit: ComePlum | creative direction & styling by us
With Black Friday and Cyber Monday a few backs, like everyone else, I was targeted with a huge surge of ads, online and offline.
I noticed something interesting and strange. Of all the brands that I encountered, I saw that more than 80% of them, both large corporate brands and small independent ones, failed to stand out -- meaning, I can’t recall anything particular about each of them.
Keep in mind that these brands probably have already spent thousands, if not millions, to work with an agency or designer with the intention of building a so-called “brand”.
Honestly, because I’m personally drawn to brands with specific aesthetics, after seeing the 3rd one, every one of them started to look the same.
Most brands’ marketing message also seem very similar - something like “intentionally designed, ethically made, sustainably sourced.” As a consumer, I like the concept when this whole conscious retail trend first came out, but now, this has definitely become a marketing pitch that we see everywhere these days.
After hearing the same thing everywhere, I now don’t have any loyalty towards any of the brands I shop at. Why? Because customer loyalty requires trust from the customers, and most importantly, fulfilling basic human needs.
The Most Crucial Thing of A Successful Brand: Basic Human Needs
If you’re a business owner or a marketer, it’s important to know the basic needs that drive human emotions and behaviors -- This is the reason why we preach that any brand starts with the goal to fulfill “the deeper emotional desire of your people” when we coach our women entrepreneurs on branding.
When your Brand Promise, and Brand Story you tell resonate with your people’s core needs, your Brand will naturally stand out and have more impact.
For instance, if you’re running a cafe that serves delicious breakfast, you’re not selling the healthiest ingredient and the most delicious food. You might be selling people’s self-assurance of adopting a healthy lifestyle, feeling of belonging at a neighborhood cafe, and perhaps nostalgia or luxury depending on your atmosphere, etc.
And if you’re making handmade candles, you’re not selling another set of organic soy candles with multiple scents to choose from (other people sell the same). You might be selling the freedom of expression if the scents are personalized, and the pleasure and confidence people get when they create a great vibe in their home when they have friends over, etc.
Now that we are at the end of the year, it’s a great time to do a brand reality check! Does your brand look like just another pretty brand that looks like everyone else? Or does it truly resonates with your people?
Here are a couple basic / core human needs to begin with:
Safety
Health
Belonging
Adventure
Respect
Power
Sexual gratification
Security
Good looks
Learning new things
Avoiding new things
Peace of mind
Revenge
Control
Friendship
Romance
Community
Sympathy
Delight
Luxury
Tension
Freedom of movement
Freedom of expression
Nostalgia
Affection
Participation
Reassurance
Self-esteem/sense of self-worth
Creativity
Obedience
Reliability
Strength
Physical activity
Physical comfort
Did you get yours picked out for your brand? What does your brand empower people to feel?
Next, go through this Brand Check List and align everything that makes up your Brand with the human needs you wrote down.
Are you telling people that with your Brand Vision and Message? Does the look of your Brand make people feel these emotions? How about the entire customer experience? Does it align with these feelings you want to fulfill?
Want to find out how to stand out? Click here and read The Myth of Differentiation.
Need a little help to define your target audience to make sure your branding and marketing is on the right track to reach them? Click here to read Here’s The 3-Step Formula To Define Your Niche.
Don’t forget to grab your seat at our FREE training, so you know how to grow your profitable brand people love AND a loyal customer community who keep buying from you!