What they are and why they are important to your brand.
A common myth holds that crows, magpies, and other jaybirds collect bright, shiny things. Cue the way-back fantasy movie from 1982 (released before many of you were born), the Secret of NIMH. The crow character, Jeremy, voiced by Dom DeLuise, was renowned for his obsession with “sparklies” – aka, bright, shiny things. While crow experts eschew this myth, the truth remains that whoever we are, bright, shiny things can be very distracting … and compelling. It truly depends on what they represent.
Likewise, the use of bright, shiny things in marketing, advertising and other corporate communications can be either distracting or compelling – it depends when, how and why it is employed. Effective, profitable marketing communication is an intentional mix of alchemy and science. This represents, first, a scientific, or logical, rigor in planning and creating a thoughtful strategy, based on reliable data sets. In short, effective data helps us to know who our audience is, what their interests are and what captures their attention. From that understanding, it also involves alchemy – what seems like a magical process of creation of attracting prospects and transforming them into loyal customers and followers.
The next step in marketing communication is deploying your resources – knowing when and where to promote your product or service. You need to measure the value and return on investment (ROI) in building customer relationships. Your goal is to inspire your people, both customers and employees, and transform that following into sales.
So, what are bright, shiny things, exactly?
The brightest and shiniest: Your people offer something to shout about!
By far, real people and real stories are the most compelling in branding and selling your product or service. When you develop campaigns, it can feel effortless, organic and authentic to offer compelling imagery and stories featuring your key players, including your customers, employees, retirees or volunteers. Every day, your people make a positive difference in the lives of others. By chronicling these stories, you demonstrate success, build trust, and celebrate your most important relationships.
The challenge and the opportunity is to keep these campaigns fresh. This means you periodically replace testimonials from among your superstars. How often you refresh your testimonial campaign is up to you. A good rule of thumb is to refresh every few months. A helpful thought during campaign development is to produce a several testimonials at once. Also, these do not have to be extravagant videos or photos. One health care system produced a campaign featuring providers and patients telling their stories – sitting on a wooden stool with a white screen backdrop. It reminds us that compelling stories matter, not always the setting.
When developing the protagonist of any story, especially an advertisement or blog on the company website, we must present characters that the audience identifies with and that earns their empathy. The testimonial then presents a compelling value proposition. This opens the door to sales by clearly describing a convincing reason to consider your products or services.
Next up: Your product or services!
Speaking of spotlights, consider for a moment what you’re selling. One soft drink company – in the middle of summer, mind you – produced a commercial featuring an ice-cold bottle of their beverage, water droplets running down the side. Every time that commercial ran, within hours, sales spiked. The ads helped keep their beverage top-of-mind during a peak season and the results spoke for themselves.
Whether selling a delicious beverage or outstanding health care services, featuring the bright, shiny things helps build your brand. Believe in your product or service and tell that story when and where it will garner the attention of your primary audience. If you are unsure of the vehicle to use in your storytelling, delve into your data. Look again at who your customers are and find out what sort of things they do – there are lots of data mining services that help you understand customer personas.
ScaleUp Business Training: Helps you focus on your Why.
Positive momentum builds profitability, which is the most specific gauge of ROI. Your organizational champions and your outstanding products and services are your best ambassadors—sometimes these inspiring stories go viral and that truly is magic!
Is it possible to create a cost-effective marketing communication plan that improves profitability? Absolutely.
In January, the Washington State Department of Commerce, through StartUp Washington and the Office of Economic Development and Competitiveness offers ScaleUp Business Training. ScaleUp is a virtual six-week course, offered in both English and Spanish. The ScaleUp training helps established businesses increase profitability, build capacity and spur growth. ScaleUp is a flexible time commitment delivered online, featuring live sessions with experts who also offer weekly study hall-style mentorship hours. Graduates of the program retain continued access to alumni resources, which include all of the above and much more!
Through June, Commerce is underwriting the class for qualifying businesses. It’s a $1,500 value, so if you think it would be beneficial, you want to enroll while scholarships are available.
Branding your organization is an intentional, focused activity. It doesn’t happen overnight and it certainly requires knowledge and collaboration with business and marketing experts.
Are you ready? The path to seven figures begins here. Learn more and register now.