Since I’ve moved to DC, I’ve been out selling myself to people in a way that I haven’t had to since I moved to NYC about 10 years ago.
Which has been both good and bad.
Good in the idea that by forcing myself to look back at my accomplishments I have been able to remind myself of some of the awesome projects I’ve worked on, companies I’ve worked with, and people I’ve met.
Bad in the fact that I have had to expose myself in ways that aren’t always comfortable to people that can be completely indifferent to me and what I have to offer them.
So it goes.
But, by doing this….I’ve been stumbling on some of my old notebooks and writings and that has led me to reevaluate and revise my thoughts on a lot of topics.
So…with that long introduction, here are 3 thoughts on Brand Development from my experience with Boogie Nights, Experience Music Project, Two Kings Tickets, and Yellow Tail Wines…to name a few.
1. Make sure you know who your audience is: This seems basic and over and over again I see this rule discarded. Before you make a move, large or small, know who you are communicating with. To me, this is more important for smaller businesses than larger ones because each mistake is more costly to the small business. Either way, know your audience.
2. Be unique: If I see another social media ninja, guru, or any other descriptive for someone that basically wants your money to help you set up a Facebook page, I’ll scream.
I don’t care what your product or service is, you can make yourself stand out in someway. And, if you don’t make the effort, what’s the point of getting into the business to begin with?
Take me for example, I was in the secondary ticket market for a long time. We sold tickets that you could find on hundreds of sites, but we were successful, why? We did it through a focus on service and knowledge of our customers needs. So we were unique because we didn’t just buy every ticket in sight and try to mark them up, we knew what our audience wanted and we beat them to death with service.
3. Always Add Value: I have been reviewing a copy of Chris Guillebeau’s new book The $100 Startup. So far I am about ¼ of the way through the book and I’ve been really impressed with the common sense ideas that are in the book. But, the one point that Chris and the people he profiles hits over and over is that you need to add value…in Chris’ words “sell people fish."
You add value by giving people something they can’t get or don’t want to do themselves. When you are developing your brand, think about what you can do that adds value to your customers’ lives.
Are you making their lives easier?
Are you offering a better experience?
Are you giving them a better price?
What are you doing that increases the value of your product or service to your customers?
So there you go, 3 quick thoughts on brand development. I know they are basic but I also know from experience that they are often overlooked because they are so basic. But, you need to start with the basics and work from there.