Brand Positioning: It’s not you, it’s me. Actually, it’s you. You’re boring.
Branding is a hot topic around these parts (parts = my office chair). I’m obsessed with lots of things but brand strategies is in my top 3 along with close, authentic relationships and ‘Hot Now’ Krispy Kreme Donuts. The inventor of Spanx is a billionaire because donuts {and bacon} are delicious (honestly, I can’t take credit for that one because I saw it in a birthday card the other day).
This obsession has lead me to own up to the fact that while I love to work with clients on their whole business at heart I’m a brander because it is quintessential (that’s a big word for me at 7 in the morning) to every aspect of a business. It also fits nicely into my Operations Marketing philosophy. Score!
But when it comes to branding I see so many businesses subscribing to the same school of thought - need to please everyone, need to service everyone, need everyone to like me. Blah, blah, blah, barf. It drives me crazy! You went into business because you do something really well and you have style. Why water down your message into the sea of sameness? I feel that if you modify a message so that it appeals to everyone then you are helping no one. Because no one ever remembers {or works with} status quo.
Take a big brand like Nike, would your remember anything about Nike if their tag was ‘We think you can do it’? No. They say ‘Just Do It’. Think about it, brands that stand for something and makes no excuses for being bold about what they have to say are successful. And you buy their stuff!
If someone is so offended by what you say do you really want to work with them? Probably not. They are going to be a pain in the ass. Our goal here is to attract ideal, paying clients. Keyword: PAYING. And those clients that become obsessed with you will not be offended by a bold brand statement that actually stands for something. They will become champions for your products and services because they believe you and stand for the same things you stand for. Or as Jenn so eloquently put it when she gave me this topic idea, avoid "Middle of the Road" brand positioning - don't just settle for ok, make your brand the shit {she likes saying things like that}.
Here’s your challenge for the week - review one of your brand messages {tag line, a statement on your website, whatever you want}, change it to what you would actually say to someone. Be bold. Live with that statement for a week and use it. Ignor the haters cause in the infamous words of Taylor Swift ‘haters gonna hate’ {I can NOT believe that I just made a TSwift reference}. After that week, assess how you feel. Liberated? Accomplished? Did you snag a client that you love working with? Leave me a comment and let me know how it goes. Then we’ll drink a big ole’ glass of sparkling champagne together to celebrate.