It’s OK To Be Emotional: Why You Can’t Ignore Brand Strategy

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It’s ok to be emotional.

In fact, it’s completely necessary.

That brands play on the emotions of potential customers is nothing new (hello, John Lewis Christmas adverts!).

Ever since advertising went from purely functional to emotional rationales, consumer choices are increasingly influenced by brand perception.

After all, a pair of shoes isn’t just a pair of shoes. Our choices communicate to the world who we are.

But sometimes we forget why emotional values are so important. For example, we can lose sight when we want to run a sale, or we just want to ‘get something out there’ in a rush to try and grab people’s attention. We think the discount will be enough to do the trick or that putting up enough billboards up will solve a problem.

But over the long term, investing money in marketing without a clear brand strategy can be like chucking cash into the wind. You won’t find the loyalty from customers that keeps businesses thriving and overall adds value to your efforts. You might as well just do coupons.

Of course, we can’t all be Apple (who doesn’t actually do sales, because they don’t have to) who has meticulously built incredible value into their brand; they have a $1billion advertising budget. One can only dream!

But even small retailers should understand the importance of brand value and how it can have a significant impact on their sales.

There’s a difference between ‘cheap and cheerful’ and just plain cheap; vintage and outdated; luxurious and ostentatious. It can often be a fine line.

So how do you create a brand that reflects you in away that’s positive and meaningful?

Determine what defines your business: your core values and unique selling points. Those definitions, or brand values, need to be consistent across all your communications; visually, in your copywriting, your customer service, etc. They will help you build your mission statement, which should drive all your activity.

Why? Your brand strategy will help you justify the right marketing investments and provide a path for your overall marketing and business strategy, helping you define your target audience and establishing a clear consistent voice.

Do you want to learn more about how a strong brand can improve your business? Get in touch and we would be happy to provide a free of charge, no obligations consultation.

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