Mel feller discusses brand strategy 101 and how to nail down your mission
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Mel Feller asks the question of “What do your customers think when they hear your business’s name?” In addition, “What’s your business’s purpose, beyond making a buck?” Mel Feller has been in business for more than 40 years and understands the fact that your “brand” is so much more than the products and services you offer and the logo you’ve designed for your website or storefront. A company’s brand is the collection of positive and negative associations that it has earned in the marketplace over time—for better or worse. Brand affinity is the emotional connection that consumers have with your brand, based on shared values. Building brand affinity is important for fostering loyalty and trust from customers. Furthermore, strong, effective branding will give you a way of standing out from the crowd, helping customers find you and encouraging them to engage with your brand.
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Mel feller discusses brand strategy 101 and how to nail down your mission
- 1. Mel FellerDiscussesBrand Strategy 101 and How To Nail Down Your Mission,ValuesAndTarget Customerby Mel Feller Mel Fellerasksthe questionof “Whatdo yourcustomersthinkwhentheyhearyourbusiness’sname?” In addition,“What’syourbusiness’s purpose,beyondmakingabuck?” Mel Fellerhasbeeninbusinessformore than40 yearsand understandsthe factthatyour “brand” isso much more than the productsand servicesyouofferandthe logoyou’ve designedforyourwebsite or storefront.A company’sbrandisthe collectionof positiveandnegativeassociationsthatithasearnedin the marketplace overtime—forbetterorworse. Brand affinityisthe emotional connectionthatconsumershave withyourbrand,basedonshared values.Buildingbrand affinityisimportantforfosteringloyaltyandtrustfromcustomers.Furthermore, strong,effectivebrandingwill giveyouaway of standingoutfrom the crowd,helpingcustomersfind youand encouragingthemtoengage withyourbrand. Consistencyandclarityare the keysto successforbranding.Itis hard to buildstrongconnectionswhen people are notsure what youare reallyabout.Inaddition,tobe consistent,youneedtohave agood strategyfromthe start. It is okayto pivota little whenyourbusinessisjuststartingout,butonce people start makingassociationsaboutyou,ittakesa lotto change theirperceptions. IdentifyYour Purpose To construct yourbrandingmessage,startbyaskingwhatmakesyou different?Whatisyourbusiness about?It is nolongerenoughtojustbe the cheapestoption.Today’sconsumerswanttoengage with companieswhodemonstrate apurpose andexistformore thanjustthe pursuitof profit.(See also: “triple bottomline”businesses.) A goodway to getyour brandingrightfromthe beginningistospendtime outliningyourmissionand core values.Thisissomethingmanystartupsleave until later,butthe mostsuccessful businessesfigure thisstuff outfrom the beginning. A missionstatementsummarizesthe “why”of yourcompany,preferablyinone sentence.Here are a couple of greatexamples,viaHubspot: Sweetgreen:“Toinspire healthiercommunitiesbyconnectingpeople toreal food.”
- 2. Warby Parker: “To offerdesignereyewearata revolutionaryprice,whileleadingthe wayforsocially- consciousbusinesses.” Whenyousit downto write a missionstatement,thinkbeyondwhatyouare selling,andfocusonthe impactyou wouldlike tohave onthe world. You shouldalsospendsome time thinkingaboutyourcore values, orthe guidingprinciplesof your organization.Here isatip to getyou started:How do youdefine success,outside of money?Whatdo youvalue mostin life? Browse throughthislistof 200 core values,take fouror five thatpopout at you,and thinkof ways to incorporate themintoyourbusiness’sapproachtocustomerservice andsocial purpose. A Listof Over200 Personal Values However,itisuseful toscana core valueslisttoprime yourself before the exercises. In addition,itis beneficialtoreviewalistof core valuesafteryoubrainstormyourlistto determineif youmissedsomethingimportant. As a reference,here isa listof 230 personal values: Acceptance Accomplishment Accountability Accuracy Achievement Adaptability Alertness Altruism Ambition Amusement Assertiveness
- 10. Vigor Vision Vitality Wealth Welcoming Winning Wisdom Wonder IdentifyYour Ideal Customer Anotherhelpfulexercisewhenbuildingyourbrandstrategyisoutliningan“Ideal Customer.” Tohone in on yourtarget audience,youcreate adetaileddescriptionof anideal customerforyourbusiness, plottingouttheirdailyjourney,identifyingtheirpainpoints,anddetermininghow youcanaddress them.Here ishow thisworks: Come up witha fictitiousaudience member,beingasspecificaspossible inyourdescriptionof this person.Give thema name andwrite out a few thingsabouthisor herlife.How oldare they?Where do theylive?Whatistheirannual income andeducationlevel?How dotheylike tospendtheirtime? Map outwhat theirtypical daymight looklike.Whendotheygetup?What do theydoat work?What do theydoafter work?What wasthe lastmajorpurchase theymade,and whatwas theirprocessfor makingthat purchase?Forany activityyoudescribe,identifywhetheritwasa positive ornegative experience, andwhy. Determine whichcommunicationchannelsyourideal customerusesthroughoutthe day,soyoucan get a betterideaas to whatwill be the bestwayto reach them.Forexample,dotheyuse Facebook,Twitter, LinkedIn,Instagram,etc.? Whatdotheydo whentheyare on these sitesorsocial channels?Dothey make purchases,ordo theysimplytalkaboutthe issuesof the day?Whenlookingfor recommendations,whoseworddo,theytrustthe most? While thisexerciseisnotasspecificasempirical marketresearch,itcanbe veryhelpful infocusingyour thinkingsothatyou can connectas well aspossible withyourtargetaudience.
- 11. AlignYour BusinessHabits WithYour Brand Once you have a missionandan ideal customerinmind,youneedto alignthemwithyouractionsand your messaging.Some tipsfordoingthisinclude: Establishbrandguidelines.Use yourmissionandvaluestocome upwithrulesforhow to communicate withyouraudience,andwhatyourbrand looks,feelsandsoundslikeonyourwebsite,social channels, and email marketing. Roll outyour brandinginternallybeforegoingpublic.Itiscritical that all youremployees(especiallyones inpublic-facingroles) understandhowtocommunicate yourbrandincustomerinteractions. Be consistentacrossall platforms.Youwantpeople tosee the same thingsandmake the same associationnomatterwhere theycome acrossyour brand.Everywebsite visitorsocial media interactionacustomerhas shouldgive themaclearerunderstanding of whoyouare as a company.Here isa little more abouthowyoucan be consistentinall yoursocial mediaefforts. Finda social cause that alignswithyourmissionstatementandcore values,andthrow the supportof your businessbehindit.Bycollaboratingwithanon-profitorganizationthatistryingtomake a similar impacton the world,yourcustomerswill feelevenbetterspendingmoneyonyourproductsor services. Your brand strategyneedstobe aboutmakingthe connectionbetweenyourbusiness andyourmessage as clearas possible.Take time inthe beginningtofigure outexactlywhatyourbusinessrepresents,and whatit isyou are tryingto say.Thiswill allow formore consistentmessagingandamore successful brand identitydownthe road. Whois Mel Feller I am Mel FellerandIam an entrepreneuranda strategistthatlovesthe worldof small business. Iinvest inreal estate andteachreal estate investingaswell asstocks,internetbusinesses,businessconsultant and multiple streamsof income. "People hireme formyhead,payme formy heart,and trust me most whenI use both,”I have beencoachingforover30 years.Mel hasearnedhisPolitical Scienceand AccountingDegree fromWeberState University.Mel earnedbothhisMasterDegreesfromUtahState University;those beingMastersinPublicAdministrationandasecondMasters inHuman Resourceswith an emphasisinadulteducation. I guessI startedmyentrepreneurial journeyinthe searchforFreedomat16. Financial freedom, butalso the freedomtocreate and buildbasedonmyidealsanddecisions,notbeingtoldwhattodo. I have neverreallybeengreatatbeingtoldwhattodo and alwayshada rebelliousstreakinme.
- 12. That was nota negative attribute,itjustmade me wantto zig wheneveryone zagged. I love addingvalue inthe worldandfromearlyentrepreneurial books,learnedthatmoneywassimply an exchange of value (itisjustthe monetarykickbackof value) soIwantedto findwaystoprovide value to people inwaysthatI couldutilize mystrengths. If you lookat my resume,youcansee the earlymakingsof an entrepreneur.Iwouldworkfora company for about3 years,growrestlessandstart lookingforsomethingmore.Afterdoingthismanytimes,I realizedIwasjustmeantto workin myown companyand developmyownideas.Ihadalwaysread booksabouthavingyour ownbusinessandsoonaftermydad died,Irealizedlife wastooshortto alwayswaitfor“someday”.AlthoughIworkedfora wonderful company,withagreatmentor,I feltlike a square peg ina round hole,soIdecidedtoleave towrite a businessplan,readthe Bible covertocover and thentake a risk.I feltI wouldrathertryto buildthiscompanyandfail,ratherthan to lookback at life andwishedIhad tried. Each venture wasa big learningcurve forme and allowedme tolevelupmyconfidence,skillset, understanding,andtechnical knowledge. I believethatall successful entrepreneursare fearless.The one thingthatmostcommonlystands betweenasuccessful entrepreneuranda personwhowill be kickedaroundall hislifeintobecoming whatotherswant himto be,isthe fearof failure.Entrepreneursknow thatthisisnotan impregnable hurdle.Theyface it,embrace itand celebrate it. In addition,I have learnedthatittakesa lotof savvy,heightenedawarenessandgoodjudgementto identifyaviable businessopportunityandfigure outhow itcan be transformedintoahighgrowth businessmodel.Entrepreneursare thereforeextremelyperceptive individualswhocanforesee the potential insolvingaproblemtheyexperiencedthemselvesorreportedbysomeone aroundthem. These same insightsalsoserve tofuel theirpassionandlaythe foundationof astartup.Entrepreneurs use theirperceptive powersto dreamandI construct a visionthatwill guide themthroughthe restof theirentrepreneurial journey. AfterI have identifiedaviable businessopportunity,Ithenteachentrepreneurstoaccumulate intelligence abouttheirventure.Marketsize,customerpreferencesandbehavior,competitive landscape,pricingoptions,decisionmakersandkeyinfluencersinthe marketaswell asprospective