Show Me... Originality

When it comes to advertising, brands often spend hundreds of dollars on telling people what they need to buy to solve a particular problem. This is an effective (albeit short-term) solution, as people may buy your product and then go their merry way. Maybe you’ll convert them to repeat buyers, but then again...maybe not.

The solution here is to focus on your brand and how your brand helps people, regardless of the solution that you’re selling. This forges a relationship between your brand and your consumer, which lasts longer than a single transaction, not only reinforces repeat purchases...but also recommendations.

Effective brand strategy does this — it puts the brand first, and the solutions/products are laddered under this branding umbrella. Then, regardless of the solution you’re selling, you’ll know how to position this offering — to whom, and why (PS: this is where I can help!).

Start viewing your brand like a person — with a mosaic of attributes that makes it unique. And when it comes to one the most compelling ways to show your brand to the world via content...focus on originality.

What do you do differently? How do you help people authentically? More importantly, why did you create this brand to help them?

Don’t be afraid to really sit with these questions and dig deep. Consumers don’t want a fluff story, they’ll sense if you’re making it up.

I often ask owners — “why did you create this company?” They’ll look at me and smile (and get a touch nostalgic) and tell me a hero’s journey — their brand’s origin story.

And that’s unique to every single brand.

So once you've landed on how you're original... fantastic.

Saying it is one thing. Showing it is best.

Does anyone else remember that song from My Fair Lady? Where Eliza Doolittle is sick and tired of Freddy’s (overly sappy) romantic overture and bursts out with a sassy little song?

Best line: “Sing me no song! Read me no rhyme! Don't waste my time, Show me!”

This advice rings true for brands as well. Content should show, not tell. In a beautifully visual way.

If your brand gives back to its employees in a particular way, or the employees are helping other employees or clients in a particularly interesting way --- build your content to feature their stories, their quotes — this is how your brand lives.

Maybe your brand has created a custom project for a client — show the world the “behind the scenes” effort that went into creating this project. A little b-roll goes a long way!

Brands can show the world all the little elements that make them unique — perhaps it's their office environment, or maybe even their employee’s home office environments! A brand is a mosaic of all the employees that work to support it. Build content that illustrates what makes your culture unique, what kinds of clients you help, even a well-placed quirky little video may give your brand a boost of originality that customers love.

Why? Because it makes your brand human.

And after all — we are just humans helping humans.

PS: I guess I should practice what I preach and share what makes Craft & Clarity original. I give equal emphasis to both data and intuition. I believe that each needs the other to create strategy that is true for the brand. I also work...rather unconventionally. Like on a patio staring out at the ocean in Lima, Peru. I'm currently writing this blog post from my "second office" which is my patio, in 80 degree heat, staring out at my vegetable garden with an iced coffee condensing furiously on the table next me... and loving every minute of it. I believe the best ideas come from the most unexpected environments!

Let's meet up for a patio coffee and discuss how I can help your brand to thrive.