One of the most important things you can do to succeed in business is to uncover how you stand out from all of your competitors. But how do you know if you’ve built a brand that’s crushworthy? And, how do you get your audience’s attention? If there’s one question I get every time I speak to potential branding clients, it’s how to evoke cult-like loyalty and carve out a meaningful place in the minds of their customer.
Here are a few tips that might just help you do so.
1. Go from ordinary to extraordinary.
Just like every superhero, every company and business has its own origin story. The tale of how you came to be is different from every other company out there, so make it your differentiator. For example, Johnny Cupcakes created the world’s first t-shirt bakery inspiring legions of fans to wait outside for days at a time to get his limited edition t-shirts. He got his start selling t-shirts out of an old, beat up Toyota Camry. Take every ordinary thing you’re doing and figure out how to make it extraordinary. It’s a sure way to attract people to your company.
2. Do your research.
As you launch a company, it’s important to make sure that you do some market research and that you look into similar companies who are offering similar services as you. Finding your own niche in the market is crucial. You need to figure out why those companies’ customers would switch over to you instead and what exactly you offer that they don’t. Study trends. Do shop-alongs. Get a focus lab together. Talk to people. Be aware of what’s going on in the market to ensure you stay ahead of the game.
3. Make your brand cohesive and consistent.
Everything you produce represents your brand – it isn’t just about making sure that your logo looks good or your website rocks. You also need to make sure that you train your staff well and that they understand the ethos of your brand. Everyone you work with should understand your unique business philosophy that underpins your company and your branding, whether that’s originality, warmth, edginess or novelty. You should make sure that this cohesiveness and understanding runs through all elements of your company, top to bottom.
4. Invest in your efforts.
You can’t build a crushworthy brand by throwing pennies at it. In fact, you need significant amounts of money to not only build a brand but to market it and make it stick over time. Startup brands we work with often invest $150,000 to $300,000 to just get their brand off the ground. These are usually funded startups and they’ve done their research. Making something crushworthy takes more than just a great idea. One of the biggest mistakes we see companies make is invest all their money in product development and then pinch pennies when it comes to their branding. Don’t be that company.
5. Give it personality.
Finally, give your brand a distinct personality. Very few people enjoy working with companies that seem huge, vague and faceless. Make sure that your social media accounts reflect who you are. If you’re a funny company, be funny on social media. A great example of this is the last Blockbuster. At Motto, we encourage our clients to show their personality through their brands. Remember that great branding is the best way to make sure that you stand out from all your competitors.