The “Best-Kept Secret” Dilemma
Branding for Clarity and Relevancy
We’ve heard so many clients exclaim, “We’re the best-kept secret in town!” alongside apologetic giggles and nervous eyes. As soon as the words tumble from their lips, we know they have branding issues. The “best-kept secret” dilemma is always evidence of a disconnect between the current brand and the audience they’re trying (and failing) to reach. Something in the brand’s messaging, look and feel just doesn’t communicate clearly to the person the brand was created for. Although the organization has hoards of the most outstanding resources available managed by the kindest, most efficient staff around, customers ignore them. A majority of the customers may not even know the brand exists. So how do we solve this puzzle?
Branding Narratives
Understanding Story
When customers seem all “meh” about a brand, we call it the “curse of confusion.” This branding issue goes deeper than the relevancy of the logo. The organization needs to assess the current narrative or story behind the brand and possibly develop a new one. At Dimalanta, we use the Inbound Brand Framework which we adapted from the StoryBrand Framework created by Donald Miller. We sandwich ancient storytelling methods with our Ideal Target Audience assessment to craft the narrative. By narrowing down who the Ideal Target Audience is; what their main issue is and how your product or service is the solution to their problem, a story unfolds that will compel your audience to act. This story is simple and clear. It communicates exactly what you offer to make your audience’s life better. When you share this message clearly with a clever balance of empathy and authority, you’re guaranteed to grab your audience’s attention. With a brand narrative this strong, your audience will feel deeply understood and see an illuminated picture of success.
Ideal Target Audience
The Hero
Every business is looking for that bullseye prospect – the client or customer worth their time, marketing dollars, effort, blood, sweat, and tears. Whether you’re a restaurant, an insurance company, or a dental practice, you must determine your Ideal Target Audience to establish an effective marketing strategy. This is the only way to craft your services for the most loyal clients and appreciative customers. Here are some simple and creative ways to narrow down your audience and nail that bullseye prospect with confidence and accuracy.
- Answering the question, who is your Ideal Target Audience?
Most businesses don’t have the budget to reach everybody in the world, nor do they really want to. Start the process of determining your ideal audience by making the isolation of prospects a priority in your marketing strategy. Make a list of variables for the most ideal clients that you know you can reach. As you go through this process, you’ll notice the list slowly starting to seep in and alter the look of your messaging and marketing strategy. Congratulations! You are starting to aim smarter, bringing you closer to that bullseye moment of glory. This is when you know you’ve targeted the main character of your brand’s story. This is your hero!
- Get Specific
“When you speak to everyone, you speak to no one.” –Meredith Hill
Truth! It is just not possible to speak one message that is meaningful to every single person. When you specify who you’re trying to reach through your marketing strategy, you create mental hooks for your audience. These hooks provide results–something to “hang your hat on.” They create mental images that connect to the narratives we have about our lives. Igniting this mental activity in your audience is a fantastic start in the process of acquiring a new customer.
The Current Generation
Many of you are striving to reach the youngest adult generation – Gen Z. This generation is complex and they deserve a generous dive into some research to better understand them. We dove in head first and here’s what we’ve found:
Generation Z, is primarily defined by social media narratives and digital content. According to an article from IAB (Internet Advertising Bureau), the industry body for digital advertising, the attention span of Gen Z is 8 seconds which is 3 seconds shorter than Millenials. It’s no surprise that short-form video has seen a popularity surge in recent years. If you want your marketing to receive a smidge of attention from Gen Z, you must grab their attention immediately. These individuals will not spend time investigating or trying to decipher a confusing name. Based on this knowledge, if your Ideal Target Audience is Gen Z, we suggest creating a simple, easy-to-read logo and name that highlights 21st-century minimalist trends targeting Gen Z.
Gen Z is more independent than any other generation with hard work and entrepreneurship values. To effectively appeal to these go-getters, we must give them choices to find inspiration and demonstrate how personalized their experience with your organization can be. It’s important to communicate what is possible in the future and how you can help them accomplish anything. Gen Z has grown up with constant connection and a rapid flood of visual stimuli and processes. One way to capture their attention is through playful TikTok campaigns. However, we believe there are other options to explore in addition to fun TikTok videos such as more meaningful documentary-style videos capable of inspiring a passion-hungry generation. No matter what, the intent, copy, and call to action must be inspirational, speak to Gen Z’s desire for independence, and pique their interest.
(Broger, Kris. (2020). The Rise of Short-Form Video & the Gen Z Social Revolution. IAB UK. https://www.iabuk.com/opinions/rise-short-form-video-gen-z-social-revolution#:~:text=Gen%20Z%20typically%20have%20an,the%20way%20in%20consuming%20it.)
Relevancy
All of these points are about branding for relevancy. If your brand isn’t relevant to your audience, they will never take action. Once you’ve discovered your brand narrative by getting specific about your audience and analyzing the current generation, you can begin to add the external pieces that make your brand stand out as relevant. At this point in the process, our Dimalanta team steps in with empowering services, such as graphic design, social media strategies, and perpetual marketing systems that spread your message intuitively and consistently. Buckle your seat belt – your audience is sure to pay attention now! Your brand will no longer be the “best-kept secret” but the best solution for your client’s problem.