I’m not going to wrap this in cotton wool: 2020 is proving to be tough for businesses. And 2021 is not looking any better. This Covid-19 fueled recession is looking ugly. With organizations of all sizes struggling to stay afloat, it’s crucial that your branding is on point.
Some consider branding an extra. Important, but not crucial to a company’s success. Business owners that think this way won’t last the long-haul. Here are 4 branding strategies your company should apply in 2020 to help you weather the storm and prep you for a successful future.
Discover Your Purpose
Okay, this may sound a little corny, but it’s a crucial step of the process. Every big time brand puts a lot of effort into discovering its true purpose.
And you should be doing the same exact thing. It’s part of the reason why they’re successful. Here’s what you should be asking yourself:
- Why is your company in business?
- What sets you guys apart from the competition?
- How do you help your customers improve their lives? Do you solve a problem?
But perhaps most important: why should consumers care about you? Are you a dime a dozen type of outfit, or do you truly have a unique angle no one else offers? Hint: if you’re struggling to answer these questions, it’s time to do some serious soul searching.
For those of you who are struggling with the entire concept (which is totally understandable, I did!), I recommend checking out Simon Sinek’s Start With Why (it’s a book, but I’ve linked to one of his summary Ted Talks). Using a no-nonsense approach, he gives actionable advice on figuring the crux of your company’s differentiating factors.
Be Ethical, Go Green, Support Good Causes (and Tell Consumers About It!)
Captain Obvious fact: going green is good for the environment. Lesser known ‘secret’ fact: going green is good for business. Companies used to resist the move to environmentally friendly processes due to the associated costs. The additional number of customers just weren’t worth the investment.
That’s changed. 75% of millennials, for example, say that they’d spend more money to choose a company that offers sustainable products and practices. The coronavirus pandemic has catapulted this change to the next level, with 20% of companies responding to the call to go green.
To survive into 2021, going green should be part of your ethos and branding. You should go environmentally friendly, and let your customers know about it. Be authentic about it, but don’t be shy to push the message.
Don’t think that just because your business isn’t an obvious green machine that you don’t have to think about it. Companies like Lego, for example, have launched a successful branding campaign to highlight the creation of new blocks made out of sugarcane.
Strange (but true) example: the valve manufacturing industry. Manufacturers have had to respond by supplying new green products to the burgeoning alternative energy industry. Like Lego, manufacturers are highlighting their green credentials to build their story to be part of the solution, not the problem.
Overall, you should be aiming to give consumers the sense that your company is there to make a positive difference. Go green, be ethical in your company policies, and support as many good causes as is sensible. And don’t be afraid to do a little bit of the old trumping of your own horn.
Build Your Personal Brand
Consumers identify with people, not faceless logos. This concept has existed since the start of advertising. It even works for war, with British volunteers signing up in droves to fight the Germans during WWI as a result of the “Lord Kitchener Wants You” campaign.
There are more: Ronald McDonald, Colonel Sanders, the Marlborough Man. In the end, no matter how advanced, we’re primal beings. What made us tick thousands of years ago still works today.
That’s why you should build your personal brand. Be your company’s Steve Jobs. Become an industry-appropriate Grant Cardone or Gary Vaynerchuk (he has a cool set of tips here). When you think of their organizations, you think of them as individuals, not the LLCs they represent.
Emulate and Improve the Good, Avoid the Bad
My final point: you want to look up, learn from the stuff that your superior competitors are doing. I’m not saying you should do a carbon copy, not at all, but pick up the good bits, spin them into a unique angle, and ditch what others are doing wrong.
The way to do this is to look at individual elements, break them up, and implement them in your own campaigns. Use metrics, test, test, test, and consider how to move forward based on empirical evidence.
Remember, branding isn’t just about a logo or another visual element. It’s about the message that permeates through everything you do, sell, and show consumers. It’s your personality/humanity that needs to shine through, not a faceless corporate entity.