You Are Your Brand Part 2- Improve Yourself

(Written by guest contributor Fletcher Groeneman)

Last time we discussed the first step in the process of branding, “know yourself.” This time I would like to build on that foundation. If you feel you have a solid idea of what you or your product wants to become, it is time to learn how to best present it. While it’s true you may have a great product, every product has its weaknesses. The good news is that every product also has a technique to demonstrate only the greatest attributes. For example: Apple has good computers, but high prices. Best Buy has a good selection, but awful customer service. Taco Bell has good tacos, but a horrible dining area. When these companies market themselves, they focus on their strengths without drawing attention to their weaknesses. It’s important to discover your strengths and weaknesses and learn to accentuate the positive. We will discover what is necessary to prepare yourself or your product for commercial success.

Sharing Your Ideas

By now you should have spent some time constructing a list that best describes what you want consumers to think of when they consider your product. It is important to create the list alone, but it is equally important at this stage to discuss it with your friends and family. This step will give you clarity into the way other people perceive you or your product. They can encourage you to make adjustments that better reflect the personality of what you’re trying to sell. They will help make sure you’re not aspiring to be something that would be impossible or impractical. Many times introverts see the benefits of being socially connected, but to try to do so would be a hindrance to who they are (and how they were made). Find out what your strengths are and focus on those. Successful people are known for their area of expertise; Bill Gates doesn’t focus his time on improving his batting average and a toaster doesn’t aspire to become a space heater.

Study the Competition

During this process of discovering your strengths and weaknesses, keep an eye on your competition. Try running through this process with their product also, learning what their flaws are and making sure you are comfortable with consumers comparing your product to theirs. In fact it is important to point out your competition to consumers. Surprised? By setting yourself up against a competitor, you create a common enemy for your loyal followers. This will create a more devoted group of customers and may even have a viral impact on your brand awareness. You can even go so far as leveraging the investments in branding your competition has made to create campaigns that challenge their shortcomings.

Inventory Your Strengths

Your strengths may lie in more than your personality or the characteristics of your product. Find out what unique opportunities your location, age, demographic, etc. gives you and take advantage of them! Get out a pencil and take inventory. A few years ago when I was a leader at a summer camp, every cabin was directed to create a skit for the final meeting that would be judged. First place would get five pounds of sweet, tasty candy! If I was to obtain this crowned jewel, I quickly realized that the a greatest way to set my team apart from my competition would be to rummage through the camp and find and incorporate props that were already at the camp. Within three hours we had a skit that mimicked Marty McFly’s travels through time in “Back to the Future.” We were the only group to use the five-foot tall fan sitting in the custodian room ten feet from the stage for wind effects, and the only group to use the hidden sound system to play the soundtrack from the movie. It was a hit! It was important that we didn’t only rely on our creativity to make a script, because that’s what our competition was already doing. We made our advantage out of the unique opportunities of our surroundings.

So remember, before you begin actually marketing, take some time to learn all about your product’s strengths and weaknesses. Capitalize on any opportunity that is revealed as you scrutinize your competition and your surroundings. When you are finished, you can go on to the next step of presenting yourself with an incredibly unique vision and get more out of every dollar you spend on an advertising campaign. Next time we will discuss the tactics professionals use to formulate a tailored marketing system that elevates your product far beyond any competitors. You won’t want to miss it!

Action Steps:

1. Discuss your product with your friends and family.

2. Focus on your product’s strengths in your marketing.

3. Study your competition’s marketing and look for ways to leverage it.

4. Take inventory of the unique benefits of your surroundings.