Marketing is one of the key roles of any brand and if done properly can be the direct communication between the company and the consumer. What message do you want to convey to your customers or to the world for that matter? Are you fashion forward, are you innovative, are you edgy, a sophisticated brand or are you just lost? What customers see on your packaging or in you is how they perceive your brand. Be confident, be transparent and if you just don’t know, take them on the journey with you while you figure it out.
Marketing Real estate
How can you utilize the space provided to effectively get your message in front of the customers? For instance, let's take a t-shirt order:
- the customer sees your products or service via social media, on someone, in the store, or hears about your amazing brand.
- the customer goes to your website ( is it up to date, is it accurate, is it user-friendly, is it safe, is it inviting … and does it portray your message?
- the customer orders your product: How is the product packaged ( I think this is what I love because you can really make an impact and communicate your message). Have you ever purchased something because the packaging was cool? I am guilty of this but I have purchased many things because the packaging was on point. For lack of better words marketing and packaging can make shit look like sugar. This is just a phrase but you know what I mean. How is your shirt shipped is it in a paper bag that has holes in it, is it ripped, does is have your name on it? This is a little dated but it is believed that customers need to see advertisements 7 times before they take action. Whether that is true or not think about how many times you have seen an ad and then acted. Did you put your logo or website on the packaging somewhere?
- Once your product or service is with the customer. Will they remember your brand? Have you made an impact in their lives? This is where the post-sale communication helps. Extend a message to see how they are enjoying your product or if they have any issues. Remember the more you stay on their mind WITHOUT being or sounding like a bill collector the better and the more likely they are to purchase again.
NOTE : Please remember that you don’t have to have the exact formula used here or with other brands, mix and match do what works for you and make it really embody your presence.
Think about your own shopping habits what do you like, what do you not like? How can you not only stay in the consumers hands with your products but stay in their minds as well. The tricky part is “having the same message across the board”.
My experiences
Perfect example, since the birth of Jsnl I have always wanted the brand to be casual, simple but something that could stand the test of times, trends and generational gaps. My vision was for something like Ralph Lauren but my creativity at the time was that of Mark Ecko. Both geniuses but two different messages. My challenge was how to close the gap between the two while still conveying that one message. How could my logo reflect that? How about the image on the packaging, on the products etc. All platforms for me to figure out this thing called branding and making it so that my consumers would remember my brand.
I will tell you , it is very stressful and will pull the true “why” ..why am I doing question out of you BUT it is the best journey you can ever go on. In riding on this journey, I managed to find the answer to that problem of what my brand’s message was and was able to effectively position it in the consumers hands and minds so that it’s in line with my vision. The moral of this is to really dive in on your brand, figure out why you started it, where you want to be, and how you can convey that to your customers. You are your brand take them on a journey with you .!