Here are ten things you must do to succeed in the minds of customers in 2007. It was tough stopping at ten but I see these as the “big moves” when going to market.
1- Get Primordial Ooze: There is no plausible use for primed questions in surveys or focus groups in drawing out emotions from consumers’ minds; as proven by neuro-scientists, consumers cannot access that information. These “market research” practices fail to get the truth from consumers’ minds. There is an interview process, emotional or sub-conscious discovery, that can unearth the goldmine of thoughts that informs your brands’ representations. The process is intimate (one-on-one) and can last a couple of hours; unlike the quantitative surveys, few need to be conducted. Research companies cannot bill clients the usual high price of traditional research for this scientific and reliable practice; hence, few offer it. Until you probe your customers in this manner you are far from obtaining information that is valid in the shaping of your brand and its representations. The good news is, you can conduct these interviews yourself with some enlightment and training (we teach this at Mindmatching). If you opt out, you will continue to experience flat or low results from your branding initiatives.
2- Map Mental Models: Once you have that probing completed you will find similar patterns of thought among the customers’ interviewed. This will be your secret recipe, one which will drive everything you do. You will learn of their mental representations about your brand and context; this will inform every move you make. You cannot market a brand with confidence without this information.
3- Don’t fall for the Creativity Myth: Aesthetics are important since the visual senses are engaged by them; but, advertising that has as an objective to be “creative”, unique or award-winning is a disservice to your brand and your customers. Find out what’s in the minds of your customers and match your representations–even if it means you won’t be able to obtain acclaim for its entertainment value. Customers get attached to meaning, not campaigns. This meaning will be present in the customers’ mental models about your brand and its context–not in a creative directors mind nor in your strategic goals. Too many talk about “emotional branding” and create superficial often cheesy content that has nothing to do with the sub-conscious repository of thoughts in their customers’ minds.
4- Build a Sandbox: Where there is brand meaning there is intrinsic community between like-minded brand stakeholders. Dr. Cialdini who has performed research over 30 years coins this “Liking”; Abraham Maslow calls it “belonging”. The internet offers so many instant opportunities to build community around your brand–whether it is a shared passion or a cause. This deepens the brand meaning and experience. And frankly helps overcome the occasional insolence of the real world.
5. Get touchy-feely, literally: If your brand is packaged, hold it in your hands and close your eyes. How does it feel? Is the shape sensual or hard-edged? Is there texture? Is there a scent? Now open your eyes. Is it mostly copy and graphics? Is your brand story replicated? Your brand is also experienced in the last three feet of your customers’ journeys–yet most packaging is disconnected from other representations. This is an inane failing with most brands. In the last three feet, the brand’s canvas is smaller indeed; but, anyone who claims there is not enough space to add deep brand meaning to its package is not using creativity where it is most required. And probably thinks of it as a container! Do you protract that brand meaning at the shelf?
6. Avoid Mumbo-Jumbo: Setting down your brand’s values in writing is a step toward enabling employees to act them out intuitively. This gets confused with mission statements and culture. You cannot claim a culture if by this initiative it becomes exclusive and elitist. I have never liked hearing, “this is not our culture”. The only culture is the customers’ culture and every employee is an enabler. And a mission statement tends to be a pedantic document aimed at shareholder value. When the value of a brand enures to its customers first, the shareholders’ value increases. In the reverse case, terrible things are done to brands in the short-term for profits. If the brand withers, the shares do in tandem. Values, culture, missions, whichever you call it, all employees must understand them intuitively in order to carry out their meaning. Use real language–no mumbo-jumbo.
7. Leave no stone unturned: Marketers tend to pay attention to only a few iterations of their brands e.g. advertising, customer service. You must identify every point of contact with your brand, packaging, store facings, store support, phone reception, web sites, social media, customer service, events, and more. Every experience customers have with your brand builds or destroys it.
8. Get in the chatterplace: Truly the chatter amongst your customers is the essential fuel to your engine–the rest is just topping-up fluids. There is no doubt that the personal experience a customer has with your brand is the precedent; but, that experience can be altered by another customer sharing a contradictory experience. Often this will prevent a personal experience from ever occuring . Let’s not forget the many voices, movie critics, restaurant critics, consumer blogs. Again you must protect your brand meaning. And the best way to do that is to ensure that every representation of your brand is optimized. Chatter occurs if your brand is loved or hated; it rarely occurs if it is not engaging. The lion’s share of brands are not talked about; this is death for a brand.
9- Get to Greatness: How do you get into the Chatterplace? Well, your product must be great. Your brand meaning must be resonant. And the brand experience must fire on all cylinders. Cut back on your ad dollars and invest in the brand if you have too. Advertising will not drive brand success like a brand that has a life of its own. You could say advertising forces meaning–it is alone the lazy marketer’s tool. People are always amazed when a brand takes off without advertising e.g. Starbucks. Greatness is the reason. Shape a great brand and they will come. Don’t let anyone talk you into spending millions on an also-ran box of juice with a point-of-difference manufactured into more than it is. Sadly, this is the resounding scenario among brands. This is wasteful and won’t fly. Instead go back to the drawing board. Make the juice great. Make the package great. Find it’s meaning. Don’t let the development folks hand you a product and say, “get this to market”. Get your nose in their business; send it back for greatness.
10. Keep heart in it: Everything you can do to cultivate integrity must be done. That’s where “authenticity” (Lululemon’s, Whole Foods) comes in. That’s where ‘kindness” (Four Seasons Hotels) comes in. That’s were “cause” (Sundance, Patagonia) comes in. That’s where “transparency” (Ford Bold Moves, Loblaw) comes in. This galvanizes customers today. If you know your brand contains a potentially harmful ingredient, do all you can to have it removed or replaced with a heatlhy alternative. Loblaws new Chief Executive Officer, Galen Weston Jr., just wrote his own “manifesto” in The Globe and Mail this week, about Loblaw Company taking a leading role in improving the safety and nutritional value in foods it markets– this was impressive and groundbreaking. If your corporate brand contributes virtually nothing to society, change that now–and quickly! This is the new edict among customers and part of the brand meaning.
