Cyndi Lauper and Cindy Crawford, two 80s icons who are still going strong. Though their styles and approach may be completely different, they’re both smart business women who’ve created brands that remain relevant and diverse 30-odd years later.
The Tale of Two Cindies proves that women rock at any age. It also demonstrates that when it comes to marketing, there is no one-size solution.
What’s your marketing style?
Are you results-driven, classic, and methodical or does “controlled chaos” better describe your approach?
Why Marketing Style Matters
Your marketing preferences don’t just relate to your style. They also apply to the makeup of your audience and how you intend to influence them. Will a more traditional demographic relate to quirky and cute? Does your own approach matter as long as it gets results?
Branding is about telling a story – your story – to your audience in a way that’s engaging and relatable. Knowing your marketing style will help you find the right creative team to bring your brand vision to life.
Your Marketing Style: All About Business or So Unusual?
This is a question you probably haven’t given much thought. You are who you are, but how does that affect your marketing strategy? Branding is about making you look good regardless, right?
Let me stop you right there.
Branding is not about making up a story to trick people into buying your product. It’s about being authentic in a way that your audience can relate to and steering them toward your solution.
It’s about building relationships, whether they be client/marketing team or brand/consumer.
People follow Cindy Crawford because they want to project the kind of natural yet casual/cool chic she embodies. Those of us who resonated with the brash, quirky nature of Cyndi Lauper were drawn to her “brat with a heart of gold” aesthetic. She was eclectic, eccentric, and dynamic.
Maybe you admired the “other Cindy”, but her style was too traditional and confining. You want something bold and impactful. Or, perhaps you think the Lauper brand is eye-catching and fun, but the free-wheeling nature, rule bending, and irreverence make you a little nervous. You study charts and trends, micromanage every detail, and analyze the metrics at every step. You want to exude confidence and assurance.
Here are a few tips to help define your style and make it work for you and your client base.
Define and Refine Your Style
There are three basic types of marketers:
a) Those who are tech-savvy and anxious to learn how to fit the latest app or platforms into their marketing plan. They’re more likely to work with startups and lifestyle brands than established corporations or buttoned-up firms.
b) Marketers who are extroverted and energized by working with a large, diverse marketing team. They tend to be a bit flamboyant and are prolific communicators who shine on social media.
c) Quiet and low-key individuals who work better within traditional marketing boundaries. They’re amenable to intimate campaigns that focus on establishing a personal relationship through blogging, infomercials, and other forms of content creation.
Know Your Comfort Level
Once you know your predominant marketing style, how confident are you in your ability to implement it and achieve your objectives? Lack of self-awareness and authenticity, no matter how subtle or seemingly insignificant, will be apparent when you measure engagement and response.
But, Don’t be Afraid to Reach Beyond it
It’s always best to be yourself, but don’t allow a style that’s incompatible with trends and your goals or audience preferences to hold you back. Remain relevant by daring to innovate and choose a creative team that adds balance without breaking cohesion.
In the end, the ideal marketing strategy is both fluid and fluent. You need a creative team that’s agile enough to thread that needle and stitch all of the pieces together into a cohesive whole.
We accept your challenge!
Final Thoughts
Marketing styles are never black and white; there are many gradations in between. Are you an all or nothing marketer, a test the waters marketer, or some combination of the two?
Our objectives may be the same, but differences in our personalities inform the approach. They also affect your ability to stick to your plan and follow through.
Whichever Cindy you are, Level343 has a marketing platform to complement your style. Our goal is to achieve synergy within the client/team partnership.
We’re ready when you are. Don’t hesitate to get in touch with us to discuss your marketing objectives.