How to create a strong brand and be memorable?

In real life, we would connect with people based on personalities and how we interact. For example, "I have a strong bond with Mr. H because we share the same interests" or "It's so easy to talk to you because we speak the same language and share the same culture." or "Danielle is so funny, I love talking to her because she brings so much joy."

So, if it is so easy to make friends and have strong relationships, why does it seem so hard to connect a brand to its consumers? Can we apply the same logic to branding? Maybe. Let's dive in!

How do we connect with people? That's the main question. 

Here, we intentionally used the word "people" instead of "audience," "target," "users" because, yes, behind their screen or a cashier, these "buyers" are people. Spoiler here, we almost revealed all the secrets already. 

1- Personalization

When we speak about personalization, the luxury industry comes naturally as an example. You would think that the most luxurious a brand would be, the most inaccessible it would be, and so would allow only a few consumers to enjoy their services. Easy to take care of 10 consumers, maybe harder to pay as much care to a thousand. Actually, not really, let's see.

Making people feel unique, understood, listened to, and appreciated makes them think, "If they value me, I must be special." And spoiler alert again, our generation has never been as self-centered and narcissistic as it is today. (Look at social media and selfies! Even the word "selfie" is comical). People love to be treated differently; they want to feel that they're the one and only and that they matter to you. 

Dale Carnegie said, "A person's name is to that person, the sweetest, most important sound in any language."

So, next time, when a Starbuck waiter asks your name, think about the impact it has on you. (And forgive them if they write "Mike" instead of "Mark." They must see too many Mike or Mark.)

That being said, how do you create a "personalized brand"? How can we make people feel special when they are thousands?

2- Consistency and brand strategy 

The goal of the brand strategy is to define your DNA, your brand values, and your positioning on the market. Once being done, executing the same brand strategy to the right supports and platforms will lead to consistency. 

But why is it so important? Because you can't manage from where exactly your lead will come from. It can be LinkedIn, social ads, your website, or even word of mouth. If each touchpoint conveys the same message and is aligned, then only, you can hope to be remembered.

Let's take an example: Advertising campaigns: When the Art Director and Copywriter work on an advertising campaign, they first think about the creative concept of the campaign, only after they adapt it to the support; it simply means that, on TV, Billboards, and Radio, the same message will be displayed. Differently, of course, but it will have the same impact. Your brand strategy works exactly the same: the same message should be displayed on each platform!

And for that, your positioning matters: 

To clarify: your positioning is a sentence that summarizes your brand essence. Your positioning is strongly inspired by the « why » of your company. The « why do you wake in the morning? » « why did you create this product? » « what do you want to change? ». It should be logical and authentic. Then only can we define your brand personality: the kind of relationship you want to keep with your consumers, and your brand values: on a scale from 1 to 10, more friendly or Strict, Low or High End, Modern or Classic, etc. And obviously, we ensure that it is sustainable for you, credible and attractive for your audience, and distinctive from the competition.

Targeting... the most challenging part. 

If we miss our target in every field, we fail our operations. In branding, it's precisely the same. Well, at BRACT, we love people. And no, we're not freaks; we're just empathetic. That's why our targeting is accurate and relevant. Paying attention to people, habits, wishes, dreams, and even their failures is the only way to connect.

And example again: Think about a comedian that truly made you laugh. Think about what exactly made you laugh........Do you picture it? Yes? Are we good? Ok! We're almost 100% sure that what made you laugh is: the comedian picking a situation you were in, pointing out the reaction you had, and then telling you, "how funny, absurd, comical it is." Empathy here, only. 

For a brand, it's the exact same thing! When a company tells you that they understood your pain points (the real ones!) and provides a solution, you end up with the same feeling: being understood, listened to, and unique. 

3- Niching down to expand naturally

When it comes to targeting, it's easy to say (and we've heard it many times), "We want to touch as many people as possible, to sell as much as possible," Ok, Patrick, let's take a break here and refine. 

Niching down when it comes to your target doesn't necessarily mean targeting only a few people. It will actually be the opposite. When you think about it, social groups are way more significant than we think. So niching down truly means picking a group of people with the same interest, concerns, tastes. They may come from the same background and have the same education and culture. They may have the same kind of work, ambitions, status. So maybe the same problems.

This exact "small" group of people is what we call your "early adopters," or core target. If spotted well, they have a higher potential to love your product or service and then buy it. In addition, they will naturally speak about your company only after because people love to share their best practices. Then you can expand your target and think big.

4- A look and feel that resonates 

Obviously, just like targeting, your branding should be aligned with your target's visual "tastes" or language. For example, if your target is more intellectual, high-end imagery is recommended; if your target is younger and more dynamic, maybe playful colors are more adapted. That we will review together. But keep in mind that your visual identity shouldn't only be about yourself but also your audience. 

To sum up: a memorable brand talks authentically to its audience, from the substance to the form!

Cheers!