While visiting Phil in his town of Brevard, NC, I had him tell me the story of how the White Squirrel Festival got started in Brevard. It’s a wonderful example of how sometimes what makes us unique is right under our noses:
Tags: branding, brevard, naming, nc, phillip davis, white squirrel festival
by Phillip Davis of www.PureTungsten.com
Why is it that Coke can market all kinds of mutated varieties such as Diet Coke, Cherry Coke, Diet Vanilla Cherry Coke, etc., and consumers literally drink it up? But when Mercedes came out with a low-end version of their car, the “real” Mercedes owners were horrified? To discover the answer requires identifying a company’s “pivot point.” The pivot point of your brand is that inherent promise you have made (wittingly or unwittingly) with your customers. And while you can move your brand in any number of directions, that one pivot point, that key element of trust, must remain steadfastly in place. Want proof? Ask yourself, hypothetically, which of the following would be more accepted in the marketplace…
Rationally it would make more sense that Rolex would extend itself further in the watch category. But Rolex really isn’t in the watch business; it’s in the prestige business. That’s the pivot point, or position, it owns in the customer’s mind. To create a cheap, widely available watch would seem more like a betrayal than a brand extension. It’s obvious once you really think about it, but how many times do companies believe they are in the business of the product they make?
Since I’ve positioned Tungsten Marketing as a source for brilliant branding, it would be more acceptable if I next offered brilliant public relations vs. a bottom-of-the- pile discount-naming warehouse. If I were to do that, I would need to create a whole new brand or identity so as not to cloud my current positioning…one of providing clarity and brilliance.
A client of mine was at a loss on how to grow his tuxedo business. It was post 9-11 and the mood was anything but festive. When I asked him what business he was in, he was flabbergasted, “Tuxedos of course!” In fact he was the second generation of tuxedo sellers. But then I prodded him again. “Do men really want to wear heavy, tight-fitting, expensive tuxedos?” He thought for a moment and finally replied no. As he sat confused, I asked him again, “What business are you really in? What do you do that makes customers love you?” His eyes widened and he replied, “We make men look good!”
He had discovered his “pivot point.”
Making men look good brought with it all kinds of new possibilities. He could gather his customers’ email addresses while they shopped for tuxedos, and then send them thoughtful reminders before loved ones’ birthdays and anniversaries, with recommendations on the perfect jewelry, flowers or chocolates. He could make a commission on these products all while making his male customers “look good.” He could extend his product line to include business suits, since he would no longer be just a “tuxedo” shop but a place where men could come to look good in the eyes of others. See how important that subtle distinction can be? Instead of being stuck in a dead-end industry, the world was suddenly full of possibilities. That’s powerful stuff.
So in looking at your business, what is your pivot point? What is it about your business that makes your core customers love it, use it, and spread the word about it? It’s probably not the goods themselves but the way in which you deliver them. And that’s what customers are truly buying. That’s your pivot point. Find it and you can move your business in entirely new, and profitable, directions!
Tags: branding, pivot point, radiant branding
Many business owners sincerely believe they understand their company brand. They can describe it, quantify it and explain its place in the market. They can recount corporate history and accomplishments and detail future plans and goals. These are all necessary items for communicating a company’s brand message, but they are also the most superficial ones. These descriptive attributes tell us about what the business does, but not who the company is. The true power of a brand does not come from the what, where, when and how. It comes from the “who” and “why.”
Think about it for a minute. Almost every organization can cite what they do, where their offices are located, when they started and how they do what they do. It’s the same in science and many other fields. Experts explain how things work, but not why they work. The real effort, the real sweat and tears, comes from digging deeper beneath the surface and asking the tough questions . . . “Who are we as a company and why do we do what we do?”
This exercise requires some honesty, reflection and soul searching on the part of those in leadership. Perhaps that’s why Henry Ford said, “Thinking is the hardest work there is, which is probably the reason why so few engage in it.” This exercise may seem like splitting hairs, but the results can be profound. The early owners of the railroad industry deemed themselves invincible because they owned the railways. They could describe their business in very specific terms, including the miles of track, the number of boxcars, the annual revenues. But these wealthy business owners eventually faltered because they never realized who they were… providers of mobility. In this broader, more expansive view, they would have naturally evolved their business into cars and then planes. They would have known they provided freedom of movement to people and products, and in that role they would have constantly searched for more efficient ways to provide that service. Instead they said they owned railroads – a shallow well.
If you can discover who you are as a company, and why you do what you do, then you can transcend the ups and downs of the marketplace. You can survive a drought. You will remain relevant and avoid riding a trend into the ground. Apple has remained relevant precisely because it did not cling to its initial identity as a computer company. Apple saw that it could enhance people’s lifestyles digitally. That opened the door to music, movies, editing, podcasting and a slew of new opportunities. Compare that to Gateway Computers. What if Gateway had seen itself as truly a “gateway”? Then perhaps they would have made similar shifts in their business. Instead they are largely viewed as a computer company. And when you become tied to a product vs. a concept, you become a commodity. Can you say railroads?
Take a look at your company. Who are you? Why do you do what you do? What is your real benefit to your customer? It’s not in the actual service or product you provide — that is subject to constant change. The truth of who you are and why you do what you do is much deeper than that. When traced fully back, it will lead to an intangible concept that can transcend concrete products and services. Take out your mental shovel and spend a few days digging deeper. You may just discover a fresh new source of ideas, inspiration and revenue.
Tags: branding, digging deeper, finding clarity, naming, radiant branding
We want to make the Radiant Branding course experience as valuable to you as we can. Please take a moment to tell us about yourself, your struggles, and where you are with solidifying your message into a brand that draws people to you naturally and effortlessly.
Tags: branding, ideamarketers, radiant branding, small business branding
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