Developing and creating a brand from scratch is no small feat. It takes determination, dedication, hard work, and potentially sacrificing other aspects of your life. But, the benefits that come from crafting a brand that meets the needs and wants of your clients make all the effort worthwhile. The sleepless nights, the stress, the worry – all these wash away when we receive that first positive review, an incredible piece of customer feedback, or see the real-life impact your brand has on your clients. It’s the reason you work so hard. But in an ever-changing global market, how do you ensure that you are creating and maintaining a brand personality that remains constant, personal, and genuine? 

The Essence of Brand Personality 

There are a few key steps that are imperative when attempting to keep your brand tone of voice genuine and relevant. It can feel like a bit of a balancing act, but if you stick to these simple steps consistently, you can keep yourself on the right track – providing your clients and audiences with the brand they know, trust, and love. But what is meant by ‘brand personality’? 

A brand’s personality is essentially a set of human characteristics attributed to a brand name. It’s more than just a logo or a palette of pretty colours; it’s what your brand stands for, its values, tone, and the emotional response it evokes in your audience. A genuine brand personality not only attracts target audience of customers but creates loyal advocates for your brand. At the Conscious Marketing Group, we are all about crafting and nurturing genuine brand personalities for our clients. Here are a few of the steps we use to help our clients cultivate authentic brand personalities with heart that resonate with audiences. 

1. Understand Your Core Values 

Everything in your brand personality should stem from your core values. These are not just platitudes but principles that guide every business decision and customer interaction. Whether it’s sustainability, innovation, or customer-centricity, your values are the guide that directs your brand narrative. Having a deep knowledge and understanding of these values allows your brand to maintain its personality and authenticity, even as markets and trends change.

2. Define and Pinpoint Your Audience 

Understanding who your audience is plays a critical role in how you shape your brand personality. What are their needs, wants, and expectations? How do they prefer to communicate? Where do they get their information? Crafting a personality that speaks directly to your core audience will make your brand feel more personal and genuine. This connection is built by considering not just demographics but the personality, values, opinions, attitudes, interests, and lifestyles of your clients. 

3. Consistent Voice and Tone (Brand ToV)

Consistency is key in maintaining a genuine brand personality. Your brand’s voice should reflect its personality across all platforms, whether it’s social media, your website, or even how your customer service representatives communicate. If your brand is friendly and approachable, a formal and detached tone in your communications will be jarring for your customers. Maintain a consistent voice that aligns with your personality and values in every piece of content you create and every interaction you have with your audience.  

4. Tell Your Story 

Storytelling is a powerful tool in brand building. It helps to humanise your brand and allows your audience to form a deeper connection with your business. Share your journey, the challenges you’ve faced, the victories, and the lessons learned. Let your customers see the people behind the products or services. Authentic stories resonate more and help solidify your brand personality in the minds and hearts of your consumers.  

5. Engage with Your Audience, Listen to What They Want 

Engagement goes beyond posting on social media. It involves active listening and responding to your customers. Using feedback, positive or negative, to understand how your audience perceives your brand and what they feel about your personality is imperative to developing a trustworthy brand with growth potential. This can provide invaluable insights into areas where you might be misaligned with your audience’s expectations and perceptions, allowing you the opportunity to make necessary adjustments.  

6. Adapt but Stay True to Your Brand

The market will change, and so may your business strategies, but your brand personality should remain intact. This doesn’t mean your brand can’t evolve; rather, any evolution should still reflect your core values and the essence of what your brand stands for. For example, if innovation is a core value, regularly updating your product line or the technology that you use can reflect this, but the way you communicate and interact with customers should still convey your foundational brand personality. 

7. Visual Consistency 

Visual elements like logos, colour schemes, and design should complement and show off your brand personality. They are what catch your customer’s eye and make your brand instantly recognisable. Ensure these elements are not only attractive but also align with the emotional tone and values of your brand. For instance, a brand that stands for tranquillity and peace might choose soft pastel colours and a simple, elegant logo design to convey these traits visually. 

 8. Employee Advocacy 

Your employees are your brand ambassadors. When they embody and advocate for your brand values, it reinforces your brand personality to the public. Train and encourage your team to understand and reflect the brand’s personality in their roles. This internal alignment guarantees that your brand’s face to the world is unified and genuine.  

Conclusion 

 Creating and maintaining a genuine brand personality isn’t just about being noticed; it’s about being remembered, respected, and trusted. It’s about making a connection that transcends transactions and fosters loyalty. In the dynamic landscape of today’s market, the brands that succeed are those that remain true to their core values while skillfully adapting to the world around them. As you move forward on your brand journey, remember that a genuinely crafted brand personality is your most enduring asset. It’s what defines you, sets you apart, helps you stand out, and drives you towards continued success in connecting with your clients on a meaningful, genuine level.  

Do you remember the last time you ordered food online? Chances are, one of these three names popped up on your screen: Deliveroo, Uber Eats, or Just Eat. It’s like a three-way race to win the hearts (and stomachs) of food enthusiasts. 

These food delivery giants have taken the culinary world by storm, each with its unique marketing approach, yet all aiming to satisfy the same hungry customer base.

So, who wins the race to be the best-known, most favoured online food delivery service?  What unique marketing approach does each take and how do they communicate their offers?

Let’s take a look at some of their latest marketing campaigns.

1. Deliveroo: Bringing the Kitchen to Your Doorstep with ‘Pablo’

Deliveroo is often associated with speedy deliveries and a diverse choice of restaurants. 

In the summer of 2023, Deliveroo launched a campaign called “It’s All On Your Doorstep” in collaboration with creative agency Pablo London. The campaign aims to promote the convenience of Deliveroo’s food delivery service, emphasising that everything one needs is available ‘on their doorstep’.

The campaign celebrates the role of Deliveroo in connecting consumers with the food that they love and highlights the relatable rituals, behaviours, and moments surrounding food.

Deliveroo adopts a mixed-media approach to communicate its value proposition to the audience through creativity. 

The campaign

The campaign features two 30-second videos, one focusing on Deliveroo’s grocery delivery service and one highlighting their restaurant offerings. The grocery delivery film features the different ingredients one might need throughout the week depending on cravings and occasions. The restaurant ads show an animated Deliveroo rider taking the viewers on a journey through a vibrant food community promoting the different local restaurants that can deliver food to a buyer’s doorstep.

Our thoughts

The factors that contribute to its success are a combination of appealing content, animation style, and a soundscape designed by the audio team at London-based media house, Creative Outpost. The spot focus of the restaurant video is to create energy and excitement for all the unique characters throughout the piece. While for the Grocery commercial, the sound design aimed to capture various food moods from  “Healthy Monday” to a “Lazy Sunday”.

The outcome 

The approach turns food delivery into an event. It resonates brilliantly with people’s love of choice and the results are impressive!  Deliveroo has seen:

The numbers demonstrate that not only did Deliveroo experience a surge in customer engagement but it also gained attention from various media outlets. It’s remarkable how it fulfils the commitment to excellent service and brings significant results.

2. Uber Eats: The Promise of Delivering Anything

Uber Eats has always been focused on providing convenience. In 2023, they took this to a different level.

The Campaign

Their latest campaign “Get Almost, Almost Anything ” is designed by Village Essence Mediacom and its supporting agency. The campaign communicates the company’s proposition of being able to deliver anything, anytime, anywhere, while highlighting the brand’s commitment to providing a seamless delivery experience.

Uber Eats has successfully positioned itself as a go-to delivery service, for a wide range of daily needs.

Our thoughts

Uber Eats has used several video campaigns to communicate its unique selling point but the one that caught our eye recently is the one featuring actor Tom Felton. The ad shows the actor, known for his role in the Harry Potter films, ordering a magic wand from Uber Eats 😂, only to find out the hard way that it’s better if you can’t order certain items.  Combining humour and celebrity influence showcases that Uber Eats understands how to cleverly promote their brand.

The outcome

The outcome of this campaign is phenomenal. Uber Eats experienced a 76% year-over-year (YoY) growth in gross bookings, reaching $12.9 billion with their revenue growing significantly by 89% YoY to reach $1.9 billion.

They want to alter the perception that Uber Eats just delivers food from restaurants, it’s about delivering the promise of convenience.

This move helped them tap into a fresh market and establish themselves as a reliable overall delivery service.

3. Just Eat: The Blend of Music and Opera Rap

In a surprising twist that left everyone eager for more, Just Eat Takeaway unveiled an extraordinary marketing campaign “Did Somebody Say” starring the pop icon Christina Aguilera and rising rap star Latto. 

The Campaign

The campaign combines the musical worlds of opera and rap, merging two distinctive genres to create a unique and unforgettable experience. 

It has since become Just Eat’s most successful campaign. The ad is set in a lavish entrance hall and is nothing short of spectacular Christina Aguilera’s operatic voice harmonises flawlessly with Latto’s rap verses to create a campaign that surprises and delights audiences.

Our thoughts

Just Eat employs a marketing strategy based on collaboration to convey its unique value proposition. The success of this commercial is due to the combination of celebrity influence and magical lyrics. The lyrics showcase Just Eat’s offers which gives you more ‘flavours than you tasted or you heard in your life’ through their delivery of both everyday grocery essentials and popular restaurant dishes. 

The music video shows Christina and Latto glamorously dressed as opera singers as they make their way through a palace. Couriers and admirers attend to their every desire, providing a variety of their favourite dishes from Just Eat, such as tacos, poke bowls, and sushi, all delivered to the stars by train.

 “Working with Just Eat Takeaway and my girl Latto on this genre-fusing project was honestly a blast. We laughed a lot, sang loud and got to make a lavish video all in celebration of our favourite takeaway and grocery app.”

– Christina Aguilera 

“When I heard about the opportunity to work with Just Eat I was actually abroad on tour using the app! It was a no-brainer for me, especially with the iconic Christina Aguilera involved. I had so much fun with this collab and have loved seeing it come to life.”

– Latto

The outcome

So, what’s the strategy behind all of this?  

Just Eat successfully elevates the simple act of ordering food to a truly decadent experience. This marketing approach speaks volumes about their ability to connect with audiences, catering to both opera enthusiasts and fans of modern rap music. The results have been outstanding, with a 59% increase in brand awareness and a positive engagement response of 95% on social media. 

Conclusion 

Deliveroo, Uber Eats, and Just Eat have firmly established themselves as leaders in the food delivery industry. 

Each of the platforms used has its own marketing strategies and approaches that cater to various customer preferences. Whether you’re in the mood for dinner, a late-night snack, or in need of ingredients delivered quickly, you can rest assured that these brands have got you covered! 

So sit back, relax, and let your favourite restaurants come to you. 

Bon appétit! 😉

If you’re interested in exploring and discovering effective marketing strategies for your brand,  simply book a call here or email us.

” A brand is the set of expectations, memories, stories and relationships that, taken together, account for a consumer’s decision to choose one product or service over another.” Seth Godin

Often people think of branding as a logo design, colour palette, and set of fonts – but it is SO much more than that.

There are five key elements that make up a brand:

> Brand Heritage

> Brand Story

> Brand Positioning

> Brand Identity

> Brand Experience

Brand positioning refers to the unique place a brand occupies in the minds of its customers and how it is distinguished from the products or services of its competitors. It is a marketing strategy that helps businesses set themselves apart and differentiate themselves from others in the market. Brand positioning is not the same as brand awareness, which refers to the level of familiarity that customers have with a brand. Brand positioning involves creating brand associations in people’s minds, to make them perceive the brand in a specific way.

What is brand positioning?

If there was a North Star in the world of the brand it would be brand positioning, it provides direction in your brand’s journey and distinguishes your brand in an overcrowded market place making it stand out to your target audiences. Brand positioning dives deep into phycology and connects to people, their perceptions, and loyalty and essentially influencing their buying behaviour. The essence of brand positioning ties in and influences your brand’s tone of voice, visual attributes and messaging all of which shape the audience’s perception of the brand. 

Why is brand positioning important? 

Your brand positioning is an essential part of your brand that describes what your business does, for who, your unique value, what sets you apart from your competitors and the benefit of your product or service to customers. Collectively this strategy creates a brand association in customers’ minds to specifically perceive a brand in a certain way, or a unique value that a brand presents to its customers. 

Putting your brand positioning into words in the form of a concise and compelling statement is key. There is a science to the art in proving positioning statements which include identifying your target audience, highlighting your differentiation compared to your competitors, demonstrating your value proposition and finally, your proof points. Having a clear positioning statement lets potential customers understand why they should pick your brand over your competitors. Effective brand positioning is super important to the extent to which a brand is perceived as favourable and credible in consumers’ minds or not for that matter. Brand positioning strategies help us shape consumer preferences and are directly linked to consumer loyalty and the drive to purchase the brand. 

People first, not channel first

Marketing and brand are all about people, or it at least they should be. It’s about tapping into the inner psyche of consumers and putting their needs and wants and even ambitions and dreams at the centre, the channels and touchpoints come later.

At CMG we always adopt a people-first and not channel-first approach. It’s our job to discover the story behind your brand, understand why your business exists, and who for. Proof is in the pudding that by starting with these foundational questions it delivers results and acts as the cornerstone of every successful brand operating in today’s world. By tapping into human insight, conscious marketing helps brands make informed decisions about how they communicate their offer, connect with their values and communicate their message to turn target audiences into loyal customers.

Need help defining your brand position? We’re always on hand for a free consultation if you need help with your brand and marketing strategy. Our team of experts eat and breathe brand development and activation and would love to help bring your brand to life.

Book a meeting to talk through what you are looking to achieve in your business and how we can help.

The foundations of marketing are the one constant in an ever-evolving world of new fads and shiny objects that we see in our industry. Threads.. what?

Trust us – if you start with human insights and a decent amount of time exploring the market to understand the competitive landscape and perceived strength of your brand before developing a strategic marketing plan – you’re doing something right.

But it’s also important for marketing boffins like us to keep up with the latest trends and your competitors in an increasingly busy space. In this blog, we take a deeper dive into some of the marketing trends that seem to be hot topics this year and how they can work for your business.

Short-form video content

Short-form video is here to stay. Unlike the previous focus for B2B and B2C marketers to use longer-form video, we’re all now realising that short-form video plays into the hands of our short attention spans and can be very effective. In our fast-paced scroll-through world – short-form video is easily digestible. Brands that would have usually stayed away from these platforms are now utilising them to reach new audiences. Short-form video isn’t just for TikTok but if you’re looking to reach younger audiences, it’s a great place to start. 

Influencer marketing

Influencers are old news but until recently have not been part of the day-to-day arsenal of marketers. Brands often think they need to secure a high-profile celebrity and pay loads of cash but the reality is that micro-influencers will increasingly play an important role. Micro-influencers typically have a smaller following but have good engagement rates. An added bonus of micro-influencers is that they’ve usually honed in on their niche and so play an important role in converting leads, boosting brand awareness and connecting with target audiences. Customers find it easier to relate to and trust this type of influencer too as they are “just like us” – everyday people. 

SEO

We all know about the importance of SEO and its impact in making our content and website more discoverable online. SEO is increasingly getting a first-class upgrade, to be third in line (right after short-form video and influencer marketing) for what marketers will invest the most money in. SEO will feature more heavily in marketing strategies and will increasingly be left to SEO experts to implement. 

Mobile optimisation

The bottom line is that we are all spending a lot of time on our mobile phones. Marketing to the modern consumer is all about being fast-paced, connected and on the pulse. Mobile optimisation will increasingly become more important to marketing across websites and email, especially as 33% of global marketers invest in mobile web design and a further 64% of SEO marketers consider mobile optimisation an effective investment according to  Hubspot. Mobile optimisation is crucial and will increasingly be given more weight in marketing strategies. 

Social responsibility

The social responsibility trend is one we are particularly fond of at CMG. Brands are supporting causes that align with their values and mission – whether it be racial justice, LGBTQ+ rights, gender inequality, climate change or sustainability. This has a dual bonus in doing something good for the wider world and very much aligns with the purchasing power of Gen-Z and Millennial consumers. 

Customers are also demanding greater transparency and holding businesses to account on important issues like production processes and workers’ rights. Let’s be honest, not only is this a welcome trend, but it is also great for marketing. Who doesn’t love a feel-good story and a shift in wider consciousness? 

Artificial Intelligence

Love it or loath it, AI is here to stay. Whether you use it for research, content generation or any of its other varied capabilities – AI will increasingly be part of the marketing world. Applications like Google Bard and Chat GPT do have their advantages, especially when it does not require much creative input. 

Now you’re all asking, did we write this blog using AI? The answer is no, at CMG we do appreciate personable, human and creative input but won’t rule it out for a bit of background research. 

At CMG we’re a collective of experienced storytellers, designers, marketers and digital natives. We offer strategic planning, brand design, social media management, content marketing, web design and plenty more. 

If you would like to discuss outsourcing your marketing to our team of experienced specialists, book a call here or email us. 

Let’s face it, we all wish we had more time  (and headspace) to juggle the demands of work and daily life. Enter the world of outsourcing, which as defined by The Oxford Dictionary, is “the process of paying to have part of a company’s work done by another company.” Often, marketing is the first thing to be cut or scaled back when the purse strings are tightened but in these extraordinary times, marketing has never been more important to gain and retain customers. Here we run through the top 10 benefits of outsourcing your brand, design and marketing needs. 

1. Cost effective

It’s no secret that outsourcing to a full-service marketing agency is much more cost-effective than hiring a full in-house marketing and creative team. Not to mention saving on payroll, facilities, space, computer equipment and training. Outsourcing to just pay for the work they need on a per-project or retainer basis can be a game-changer for businesses. The fact that you are only paying for what you really need is also brilliant for scalability, as you can increase the services you require to meet the needs of your business and cash flow.

2. Access to expertise

Not to blow our own trumpet, but we at CMG would argue that one of the biggest benefits of outsourcing to a marketing agency is the access you have to a bunch of talented and experienced professionals that have specialised skill sets. Let us bring your brand identity and values to life through creative designs and engaging marketing communications so you have time to focus on running your business. Small to medium-sized businesses with one individual tasked with marketing or a small team leading marketing initiatives, don’t always have the resources, specialist skills or experience needed to successfully grow your business.

3. Improved efficiency

Besides the obvious point of handing your marketing to an external team, a marketing agency can help streamline your strategies, processes and activity. Running a tight ship on your marketing activity improves activities and ensures a holistic 360 approach is taken and things are not forgotten or added to the “some time in the future” pile. With an agency, the turnaround times are likely to be much quicker than in-house – freeing you and your team up to focus on your core skills and operations whilst driving your business into the sunset of success.

4. Flexibility 

There is plenty of lingo that comes with the territory of marketing agencies but a few really do stick. Being “agile” in a time of flux and change is priceless. One of the many advantages of working with a small agency is that they are able to tailor their service to meet your business needs. Providing bespoke services enables agencies to work closely with businesses to truly understand their requirements and to meet their goals. A personalised element that is often lost with larger agency work. 

5. Increased scalability

Marketing and creative needs often change as a business grows. Outsourcing creative and marketing efforts means that you can adjust the services and scope to meet the needs of your business, not to mention the budget. There is no one size fits all and having an agency evolving alongside you can be a tremendous asset. They will help to keep your marketing communications up-to-date, your offer strong – and will position your brand consistently and positively in the market and in the eyes of your target customers.

6. Gain fresh perspectives

One of the biggest bonuses of working with an external team of talented specialists is that it brings fresh perspectives in the form of ideas, creation and implementation to drive your marketing efforts and business performance. Having another pair of eyes on things will likely bring about new ideas that your business had previously not considered. Exciting and effective marketing campaigns will also help your business stand out in a crowded marketplace. 

Marketing agencies typically work with an array of clients from different sectors and will often cross-pollinate ideas. Drawing from different industries can really bring in fresh perspectives and introduce new ways of thinking which can be adapted and utilised within any business. This is a huge benefit and a resource you would typically not have access to in-house.

7. Results

When you pay for a service you expect results. Working with an outsourced team means they are accountable for the marketing output through measuring and tracking your analytics and return on investment (ROI) and making sure you are getting results. Crafting a realistic marketing strategy tailored to your business needs and objectives is the road map to deliver real results. 

“Companies can be reticent about making new marketing investments because they’re not sure what the returns will be. A good agency, however, uses KPIs and technology to measure success in real-time and optimise upon what’s working while cutting down on what’s not. This is what maximises results and ROI.”

– Matt Engelson, Digital Marketing Manager at Sagefrog

8. Extension of your team

Rather than thinking of outsourcing as dumping your work externally, it’s beneficial to think of the marketing specialists as extensions of your team. Whilst they take much of the stress away, when you’re single-handedly trying to raise your profile and grow your business, it’s also a collaborative working relationship. Marketing agencies are used to dealing with issues when they arise and are quick to find solutions, a real game changer when the business is fast-paced and everyone is at maximum capacity.

9. Communication and support

Social media management, design, strategy and analytics aside, your external team often acts as a subjective sounding board to bounce ideas off. Making mistakes is part of the journey for many businesses and having other people you can trust to talk with who really understand your business is a lifeline. Marketing filters through almost every facet of your business and having support and communication with people that “get it” can really be an added bonus of outsourcing. The team implementing your marketing will also often act as a buffer and work directly with suppliers or negotiate deals and timelines on your behalf. 

10. Access to technology and latest trends

Finally, but by no means least, one of the top benefits of outsourcing your marketing is that creatives and marketers are constantly interpreting rising trends and new technologies and responding accordingly. Working across sectors and industries with a diverse client base typically means they have their finger on the pulse for what’s hot and what’s not. For example, social media is by nature evolving at a super fast pace with new algorithms, platforms and trends emerging constantly. Social media managers need to tailor their content creation accordingly to make sure their client is not only getting results but utilising the platforms in response to the changing landscape and best practices. 

At CMG we’re a collective of experienced storytellers, designers, marketers and digital natives. We offer strategic planning, brand design, social media management, content marketing, web design and plenty more. 

If you would like to discuss outsourcing your marketing to our team of experienced specialists simply book a call here or email us. 

There has never been more proof that the consumer’s voice is becoming more powerful and brands must listen to what they are saying or risk losing to their competitors.

Some of the recent stats say… 

43% of global consumers want to buy more from organisations that benefit society (EY).

82% of shoppers want a brand’s values to align with their own (Harris Poll).

64% of consumers prefer to buy from companies with a reputation for purpose as well as profit (Havas Media Group).

71% of consumers tire of empty promises, spurring ‘age of cynicism’ (Havas Media Group).

94% of consumers say they are more likely to be loyal to a brand that offers transparency (Label Insight). 

Over the last few years, brands have made continued efforts to align themselves with customers’ needs and reverse the rise in lack of trust. 

In doing so, you’ve probably heard of…

Ethical marketing: The practice of marketing with a focus on the benefits and impact a brand has on society, and not just a focus on selling a product or service. 

Cause marketing: Marketing that involves working to voice and help a particular cause. This can be seen in collaborations between a business and a charity working together.

Purpose-based marketing: Aligning the business mission with a specific purpose around social issues and values, driven by who the brand is and what they believe in.

Conscious marketing can encompass some or all of these things. But for us, it’s simply about doing the right thing. And by that, we mean asking foundational questions that uncover the story behind your brand, lift the lid on why your business exists, and who for. It’s following a process that starts with human insight and ends with compelling brand communications and customer experiences that touch hearts.

What is conscious marketing?

Conscious marketing is the practice of being consciously aware and taking action to do the right thing by customers, employees and other stakeholders. 

By tapping into human insight, conscious marketing helps brands make informed decisions about the way that they communicate their offer and connect with people’s values. 

It’s less about the product or service and more about the impact it can have on people and society as a whole. 

In practice, conscious marketing involves understanding people’s wants and needs and building robust marketing strategies around research that will position the brand positively with its audience.

Global technology brand Cisco, has been forging the way for quite a few years by espousing ‘human to human marketing’ – a focus on seeing both marketers and customers as humans and talking to each other as such, rather than purely selling their products or services. Over time, this has seen them focus on corporate social responsibility and having a purpose in their marketing activities by understanding what it is their customers truly want from them. 

The principles of conscious marketing.

Being honest

All of your brand communications and claims should be honest – and the message reflective of the experience and quality that customers receive. With customer reviews playing such a big role in the buying journey and influencing decision-making, it’s impossible to pretend you’re doing great things when you’re not. IBM employees are encouraged to have a voice and share their experiences through the IBM social channels. This empowers staff and reinforces their brand values; demonstrating the human side of the brand and that they can be trusted.

Starting with human insight 

Marketing (and business) decisions should stem from human insight and what we know about our customer’s wants and needs. Let’s take Salesforce for example (love ’em or hate ’em) and their acquisition of Slack, the communications and productivity platform. They’ve clearly listened to their customers and understand how Slack can help solve a problem by bringing a connected and better experience to its customers. In their own words: “Together we’ll define the future of enterprise software, creating the digital HQ that enables every organization to deliver customer and employee success from anywhere.”

Treating people fairly

Customers are becoming smarter at understanding when a brand is trying to be something it’s not. Your marketing should reflect the company’s values and culture; from the suppliers you use to the experience customers receive when they interact with you. The same goes for your staff, partners, and all stakeholders – treating everyone fairly and with compassion is KEY. If you’re in a customer-facing business this is even more important because your staff represent your brand.

Having clear values

Yes, people primarily buy something because they are looking for a specific product or service to fulfill a need. But it doesn’t end there. Having values and being clear on your mission means that people buy into a narrative. Something that is 3 dimensional, that makes us feel something. Being clear on your brand values and purpose gives your marketing communications depth and the opportunity to connect with people.

Acting on what you believe in

To behave in a conscious way you must be active in how you drive forward the customer first thinking and not be bystanders. From research and strategic insight to being clear on your narrative; conscious marketing is a 360 approach and something the whole business should get behind.

Being clear on why you exist

Thinking beyond profit isn’t always easy, especially if you’re a small business. Many brands have understood the importance of having a ‘purpose’, a reason for being. There are some great examples of brands that have purpose at their core, such as Allplants, Oatly and The Modern Milkman. But you don’t have to be on a mission to save the planet or have a direct impact on society to be purposeful. If you’re a conscious business putting people first, that’s good enough for us.

Creating a culture you’re proud of

Driven by good leadership, the culture of a business should reflect its values and customer-centric ethos. Forming the culture of a business should be an intentional process, driven by its values – which align with its customer’s values. Processes should be put in place to ensure the business’s purpose is upheld and stakeholder management is a key part of the culture. 

Why is this the way forward for businesses?

With budget cuts, a more difficult economic environment and people raising their voices and voting with their feet – tapping into cultural and human truths can only be a good thing. Listening to what your customers are saying simply means you’ll have better retention, better engagement, more loyalty and trust. 

So – if you’re a small to medium-sized business wanting to have more of an impact in the market and be recognised for the things that really matter – get in touch. It doesn’t have to be a long, expensive process. There’s a framework we use with our clients that gets them clarity in weeks.

To speak to us or book one of our brand clarity workshops, book a call here or email us.

If you walked into your nearest Starbucks and asked for a flat white, you know what to expect. So if you were presented with something that didn’t taste like your regular flat white, and that flat white didn’t arrive in the Starbucks branded paper cup – would you be a little suspicious?

That’s the secret to brand consistency. It’s creating a perception and building expectations so that people know what to expect with every interaction they have with a brand. 

Sure, it’s easy to understand why a brand like Starbucks needs to build and maintain a high level of brand consistency but it’s also essential for small and medium-sized businesses, particularly if you operate in the B2B space.

Read on to find out why. 

What is brand consistency?

Let’s break it down and start with a definition of brand consistency before we go into why it’s so important. 

Brand consistency starts with why your brand exists and develops into what it looks like, how it sounds and how it makes people feel. It feeds all elements of the business; from your logo and colour palette to your brand communications, to the online and offline customer journey and every customer touch point possible. Consistency is key if you want people to know, like, trust and remember your business and offer.

The benefits of brand consistency

Makes you recognisable

Logically if you use a unique logo and have taken the time to choose brand colours; your customer touchpoints will look consistent. You can start to build up brand recognition, meaning your customers will recognise something they see from your business and connect it back to you. 

Brand recognition over time helps people feel familiarity and trust and has been the key to many brands’ successes over the years, such as Starbucks, Virgin and more recently the likes of First Direct and Starling. For smaller businesses, this still stands true. When you think that only 5% of your target audience is in market when they see your brand, you need to be present multiple times for it to be part of the consideration journey. And if you’re not communicating your brand consistently, there’s no way it’ll build up those all-important memory structures and be remembered at the right moment.

Makes you memorable

Linked to the above point, brand consistency helps build associations in people’s memories so they remember what the brand looks like and recognise it when they see it again. 

Having a memorable brand also helps to be top of mind when people are making buying decisions. Meaning, if your marketing communications are well-targeted and talk about the benefits of what you can offer, people are much more likely to choose you over a competitor. 

Helps build awareness

The more consistent you are as a brand, the more you’ll be recognised, and naturally, the more aware people will be of your presence in what is probably a very cluttered market.  

Helps drive revenue

It makes sense that a brand that is top of mind because it’s recognisable, memorable and slowly building awareness – has a direct impact on sales. Forbes found that presenting a brand consistently across all platforms can increase revenue by up to 23%.

5 reasons to believe branding is good for business.

We’ve looked at the overall benefits of brand consistency but smaller businesses and B2B businesses have different challenges to larger businesses like Virgin. 

So, why is it still important I hear you cry?

1. Up against strong competition

You may be up against some strong competition so brand consistency allows you to represent yourselves alongside them, with a strong and distinctive brand identity. You are more likely to be considered during people’s decision-making journey because you have built up a consistent, recognisable brand. After all, only 5% of your target audience is in market at one given time.

2. A cluttered market

Some of your competitors might be bigger, some feistier. Some may be the same size as you and have a great offer. Standing out from the crowd so that you are seen and heard never felt so important. Developing a distinctive brand look, feel and voice will give you a competitive edge.

3. Helps build reputation and trust

Lots of companies selling B2B rely on trust, word of mouth and recommendations. And while this is all so important and enough to support steady growth – it’s not sustainable. Brand consistency works alongside your reputation and nudges people in the direction of your brand when it really matters. 

4. Makes marketing and communications more streamlined

Having a defined brand identity makes it easier to develop brand communications. Everyone’s on the same page, approvals are easier and quicker and the creative process is much more enjoyable for everyone involved. If you’re outsourcing your marketing – having a set of guidelines that everyone can adhere to is a game changer.

5. Helps to drive the direction of the business 

At the heart of brand consistency is the brand identity and this identity is about who you are as a business and why you’re doing what you do. Taking the time to understand and develop a distinctive identity, beyond a logo and colour palette, right through to tone of voice and customer service standards, can help drive the future direction of the business.

How to build brand consistency

To get you started, here are some ways to help build brand consistency:

So – if you’re a small to medium-sized business wanting to have more of an impact in the market and be recognised for the things that really matter – get in touch. It doesn’t have to be a long, expensive process. There’s a framework we use with our clients that gets them clarity in weeks.

To speak to us or book one of our brand clarity workshops, book a call here or email us. 

‘Build it and they will come’.

If only it was that easy when building a brand.

Trust is the backbone of building a sustainable brand, especially when it links so clearly to its impact on customer loyalty. 

Take the mobile network GiffGaff for example, who recently ran a campaign highlighting fixed UK prices until the end of 2023. It’s a clever example of a brand understanding the need to build trust and loyalty in a year that’s looking to be very unpredictable. 

So, why is building trust and customer loyalty so important in turbulent times? Firstly, we need to break down what brand trust is, how this feeds directly into customer loyalty and why this can help you stand the test of time.

What is brand trust?

Brand trust can be defined by the level of confidence people have in a brand to deliver on its promises. 

There are multiple factors that feed into people’s overall perception of a brand’s trustworthiness. These include, but aren’t limited to:

– Individual expectations

– Perception of product/service quality

– Consistency of experience a customer has with a brand

– Reviews and brand associations (how people perceive a brand, from what they have seen or heard about it before)

– Brand authenticity

– Cost vs quality ratio 

As with any relationship, we all make assumptions and assessments on a conscious and subconscious level of how trustworthy we feel a brand is, based on a number of different feelings. 

Brand trust is the foundation of brand loyalty.

Whereas brand trust can be a preconceived notion, brand loyalty is the long-term benefit of gaining and maintaining trust.

Although this has always been the case, recent research shows brand loyalty is becoming more important and extending beyond a purely transactional experience.

Now there is more and more emphasis, especially from younger audiences, on building an emotional connection with the brands they choose to support. Authenticity and social causes are a large factor in building a level of trust between a consumer and a brand, impacting directly on the loyalty they have for it. As this relationship has a deeper emotional connection between the customer and brand, if the trust is lost, the long-term loyalty gain has been lost too. 

Why is brand trust and brand loyalty so important?

In a recent Edelman survey, 88% of respondents said that trust was an important factor in buying decisions. 

This alone shows how powerful trust is during the decision-making process. For new customers, the buying decision can involve taking a leap of faith when choosing a brand, influenced by the factors we’ve seen above that help to build trust – such as what they have previously seen or heard about a brand. 

This first experience also influences their perception of trust during future buying decisions. And, as we know, fostering this trust and ensuring that the experiences people have with a brand are positive helps to build loyalty. 

In turn, the loyalty that a brand gains with its customers mean it will benefit from higher customer retention levels. Because satisfied customers will keep returning, so long as that trust is maintained. 

Retaining customers is also more cost-effective than acquiring new ones. With loyal customers likely to spend more and recommend your brand to friends and family, it’s clear to see the importance of trust on a transactional basis.

However, from a social perspective, it is possibly even more important. A brand that loses the trust of its customers can easily find itself quickly losing its reputation, accelerated by social proof and social media. Younger generations especially are happy to vote with their feet. As well as stepping away from brands that lose their trust, they actively voice their support for brands that align with their own values and beliefs.

Why it’s especially important during turbulent times.

As the Giffgaff example shows, there are many unpredictable and uncertain things happening in the world at the moment and brands that acknowledge this and support their customers through it, are the ones that will gain from it. 

With Edelman’s 2022 Trust Barometer already stating that consumer trust is at an all-time low, thanks in part to the pandemic, and distrust in the government and the media, people will turn to brands they see as authentic and trustworthy. 

And with less disposable income, people face a hard choice in their buying decisions. Their trust in a brand can make a difference in whether they remain loyal to them, or seek an alternative. 

As Giffgaff has done, there are ways in which you can help make the buying decision easier for your customers. By fixing their prices for a year, Giffgaff customers can trust that they won’t have to pay more money halfway through the year. 

Ways to build brand trust and loyalty.

To understand how you can build brand trust and loyalty, you first need to understand where you are currently, what your goals are and how you are going to measure and monitor this. This can be hard to do but a good place to start is by listening to your customers, reading reviews and gathering feedback. 

Once you have an idea of how you are going to measure brand trust, here are 3 ways that you can build it:

1. Be consistent in the way you communicate your offer and brand 

Across every customer touchpoint, every experience and interaction that your customers have with your brand should be clear, consistent and live and breathe your brand values. Talk about the benefits, not the features, of your offer. Make it clear that you’re the brand for THEM. This will create consistency, help build an emotional connection with your audience and ensure your brand is seen as authentic. 

2. Invest in customer relationships

Your customers are the people that represent your brand. If you invest time in them, they will invest time in you. From taking the time to have face-to-face conversations with them, to offering loyalty incentives, there are hundreds of ways in which you can build up long-term relationships with your customers. 

3. Create social proof

With a couple of clicks, anyone with access to the internet can find out about your brand, so use this to your advantage by ensuring that what they see is positive. From encouraging customers to leave reviews, interacting with them on social media and utilising customer testimonials, there are a number of ways to ensure that your customers and future customers have a positive perception of your brand. As Jeff Bezos once said – ‘Your brand is what people say about you when you’re not in the room.’ 

Lots of the clients we work with think they are too small to be a brand or that they don’t want to be a brand – they just want to do business. But the truth is, your brand is the thing that attracts people. It’s the look, feel and voice of your business. It’s the story you’re telling. It’s the most valuable tool in your business toolbox!

So, if you think your brand could do with some direction when it comes to building your marketing strategy to enhance brand trust and loyalty, get in touch with us today. 

‘We’re too small to be a brand.’

This is something we heard the other day talking to a client and it really made us think. As marketers, we really need to do a better job of explaining what a brand is and why it’s one of the most valuable assets in business. It shouldn’t be deemed as a scary concept that’s only for big players in the market.

So, there you have it. Inspiration for this month’s blog.

What is a brand?

Branding has been used through the ages. In Ancient Norse, a Scandanavian language, the word “brandr” means “to burn.” Originally, a brand was a burning piece of wood and later described as a torch. By the 1500s, it became common to brand cattle in order to show ownership. Right from the start, branding was all about making your mark, both literally and figuratively. Each branding mark was unique to the cattle ranch itself. They were simple, distinctive and instantly identifiable—the tried and true pillars of any great brand.  

But let’s bring it back to the 21st Century for a moment.

Your brand is the beating heart of your business. It helps shape people’s perception of your entire ethos and offering. It’s the reputation you’re building. It’s the thing that people remember. It’s not just a colour palette and logo. It’s the reason you exist.

Your brand helps people identify what your business offers – the product, the service, the culture – creating value and the opportunity to gain a competitive edge over others in your sector.

Why is a brand important?

The most well-known explanation of a brand is from the business mogul himself, Jeff Bezos: ‘Your brand is what people say about you when you’re not in the room.’ If you do a good job of building your brand and conveying a message that resonates with your audience, it’s likely to be remembered for all of the right reasons. If you don’t, it has an adverse effect.

People develop relationships with brands, which can also help you to build a loyal customer base that draws others in. You can build trust and credibility with the people you’re trying to reach, which can influence buying habits and whether they choose your brand over another.

So – how do we influence perceptions and buying decisions through branding?

4 areas to think about: 

Develop a brand identity and personality:

Think about what you stand for as a business; what’s your purpose, values, and role in the world. Spend time looking at your competitors and where there’s clean space for you to own. And then think about a personality type that feels authentic and likely to resonate with your audience. We use the brand archetype model for this, which our clients love because it makes it very tangible and relatable.

Once you’re happy – build your whole brand identity around it. From tone of voice, look and feel, customer experience – something you can embed throughout the whole organisation.

Create distinctive brand assets:

Brand assets help people recognise and remember you. Use them correctly and they’re a great way of gaining an advantage over your competition. In the words of Ehrenberg-Bass, they are ‘non-brand name elements that can trigger the brand into memory for category buyers.’

Put another way – they are the visual or audio elements that when we see or hear them, make us think of certain brands.

Think Nike’s tick, McDonald’s golden arches, and jingle ‘I’m lovin’ it’ to name but a few. They will help you stand out in crowded buying situations.

Be visible:

Once you have defined your purpose and developed an identity for your brand, you need to be visible. The way that you communicate your offering, the experience you give your customers, and the cultural and value messages you are communicating – all go towards building memory structures in your audience’s mind and start to influence the way they feel about you. 

Marketing is a tool for getting your message heard and consistency is key. A large % of the audience you reach won’t be in the market for what you’re selling at that time, so you need to build the brand over time. And then when they are ready to buy – they choose you.

Brand building can often be a slow burn that doesn’t pay back in the short term but it’s essential if you want to build value in what you’re selling.

Satisfy customers:

The buyer’s journey doesn’t end when the product or service is bought. Once you have a customer, they’ll have an opinion of your brand. In some ways, this is the most important part of the customer journey. If they’re satisfied, you want them to shout about it from the rooftops. If they had a bad experience, you’re in trouble.

Your customers are the most valuable part of your business. Manage their expectations, treat them fairly, and nurture the relationship. It’s in your power to effect whether they remain loyal to your brand and influence others to buy from you, too. 

So – if you’re a small to medium-sized business wanting to have more of an impact in the market and be recognised for the things that really matter – get in touch. It doesn’t have to be a long, expensive process. There’s a framework we use with our clients that gets them clarity in weeks.

To speak to us or book one of our brand clarity workshops, book a call here or email us.