Tattoos. Filet-O-Fish sandwiches. Dubstep. Kim Kardashian. CrossFit.
What do they all share in common?
They’re not for everyone.
Why am I telling you this?
Because neither is your brand.
But before you give up on what likely just came off as a harsh or negative point of view, hear me out.
Your brand can’t be for everyone, but it can absolutely be for the right people.
Having written copy for nearly 30 brands here at J.Schmid, I can tell you that points of differentiation are crucial to your success. Why should customers pay more (or less) for the products you sell? What’s your brand’s story, and how is it different from that of your competitors?
Answers to questions like these are what make you, well, you. They’re also what can help narrow your target audience, so that you’re reaching the right people – the ones who want what you sell, and care what you’re all about.
For Knock Knock, a book and gift publishing company, points of differentiation include swearing and politics. Two things that can instantly turn people off and make them never want to buy from you. Sounds crazy, right? But after hearing Jen Bilik, founder and CEO of Knock Knock, speak at a conference last fall, it all made sense.
Heavy sarcasm and the occasional F-bomb were peppered throughout her presentation, and I could tell she’d made some people in the room uncomfortable. But guess what? Jen took the stage knowing that she’d make some people shift in their seats. That some would find her curse words offensive or inappropriate. That some would walk out of that ballroom thinking, Yikes. Glad that’s over.
However, Jen wasn’t there to recruit the right people (even though I did buy these after hearing her speak). She was really there to tell us this:
“You be you. I’ll be me.”
Pretty basic, yet valuable advice. Whatever makes your brand different – whatever helps it stand out in the clutter and rise above the noise – USE IT to your advantage.
That doesn’t mean you need to drop four-letter words in your next email or ad campaign, or change your brand voice to be cute or funny. But when the opportunity arises to tell a great story about what makes you different on the opening spread of your catalog, TRY IT. If you get the chance to execute an out-of-the box campaign idea, GO FOR IT. Some people will like it, some people might hate it, but the right people will love it.
And to find the right people, be willing to take some risks. Come to terms with the fact that what makes you different might make someone uncomfortable. It might even offend someone. But not everyone who walks by you on the street is going to like you. And if you continue to look like everyone else, and sound like everyone else, you’ll get lost in the fold.
So stop trying to be a brand for everyone, and start being YOU.
Need some love-hate relationship advice that will move your brand forward? We’d love to talk to you. Send us an email at holler@bonfire5.com, or reach us at 913-229-3500.
