“A business based on brand is, very simply, a business primed for success.” – David F. D’Alessandro
A magnet is anything / anyone that is a crowd-puller, enticer and can please long enough to make people stay. In the current frenzied paced business world, where technology seems to change daily, it is becoming increasingly important for companies to ensure that they are able to make their brand a magnet. What measures have you taken to make your brand a magnet? Do you know what your competitors are doing to ensure that their customers stay with them and possibly attracting some of yours too?Given the number of options – products and companies – that are vying for the customer’s attention and business, it is not surprising that loyalty for a brand seems almost non-existent. Gone are the days when people stuck with a brand for years and even passed this ‘stickiness’ to the next generation – customers now want something new each day and unless you can make your brand a magnet (based on the definition above) it would be futile to expect brand loyalty. The fact is even the largest and longest standing brands could face customer ‘disloyalty’ if they cannot offer that something extra which keeps the customers intrigued and engaged.
- To make your brand a magnet, your company must first know and understand what the brand is expected to say and how it should be defined. Strategize and design a plan to ensure that your branding efforts do justice to your brand and are able to define clearly what your brand represents. Your company must be able to elucidate what the brand’s strengths and weaknesses are, in which markets it would succeed and whether there is a particular customer segment you wish to target – this information will help you to position your brand correctly and showcase its benefits for the user. Making your brand a magnet also means being able to reflect your company’s values and culture through it. Customers should be able to see the brand as one that will enhance their business and be beneficial to them in more ways than one.
- Customers, as we have said repeatedly, are not as easily pleased or kept engaged. For them to stick with a brand or a company they must be able to clearly see that the offering is something that no else has or will have for a while. For companies to make their brand a magnet, they must be able to create an aura around it – the capacity to entice customers and keep them fixated on the brand. Your competitors will not stand a chance or be able to take your customers away if you are able to show that your brand has greater value than any others that exist in the market.
- To make your brand a magnet is not an overnight job. It is not some magic trick that will happen just by wishing it happen. Brand building and strengthening is a relentless and on-going task and one that requires patience and determination. It is about having faith in your brand and promoting it across all channels available – giving your brand a voice and letting it speak about itself. This confidence will shine through and inspire customers and will make your brand a magnet – drawing in potential customers and keeping the current ones loyal.
- Leverage the power of content to build the power of your brand. Just like people put together a resume to describe themselves, so also a brand needs well-articulated content to describe it and have a powerful and long lasting impact on the target audience and others too. Well written content will highlight the brand’s strengths, build its authority and will motivate people to want to know more about it. Making your brand a magnet is about establishing your brand as a prototype – such that it is always associated with your company and no one else would fit the mould.
- Make your brand a magnet by ensuring that it ‘speaks’ to a customer. Customers must be able to identify with the brand and a company would benefit by taking feedback from customers before putting a brand out in to the market. When you ask customers what they would like to see, you are lending an element of customization and a personal touch making it more intriguing and alluring for customers. Essentially a brand built from customer suggestions and ideas, is like their own brand and therefore they would identify with it and engage with it for a very long time. Co-creating a brand with customers is a sure-shot way to make your brand a magnet – not just for the ‘co-creators’ but they would be more than happy to spread the word and get more people to buy it.
- Creating something new and different is great – but to do so just to appear different is not wise. A brand that is too startling or does not comply with trends and the industry, may not be such a great idea. A brand must be an ‘idea’ that is relevant and has significance for its end users. Align the brand with the values and ideas of your target audience if you want it to work and be relevant.
- Ensure that your brand promotion rings true. Don’t exaggerate and talk about your brand as it is. If something does go amiss, ensure that your company takes complete responsibility for it. Remember – being honest and forthright even when things don’t go as planned is always appreciated and thought well of. Customers should be able to see your company’s commitment to integrity, discipline, honesty and taking ownership. They will be able to trust your company and the brand better and longer. Don’t hide behind excuses and failed technology – as customers can see through it all. Being forthright from the start will go a long way in establishing a bond and rapport with your customers – who will see your company and the brand as dependable and one that won’t let them down or give empty promises.
- Make your brand a magnet and your company successful by providing the highest level of customer service. Great service will accentuate the efforts your company is making in promoting a brand since apart from great products, the key differentiator for any company is the kind of service they provide. As long as customers know that the company is there for them – is respectful, empathetic, knowledgeable and willing to help – they would stick with it. Speedy service with a smile makes a great partner for brand magnet and you will have customers willing to stay with you and also bring their friends and associates to do business with you.
- Ensure that your customers see the brand as being user-friendly, comprehensible and easily available. They should be able to get information about the company and the brand from any channel they choose and companies must pay special attention to their website and social media sites when promoting a brand. If the online experience is frustrating and requires too much effort, customers have been known to ditch the process mid-way and opt for a brand / company that have a better handle of their digital space. The online experience for customers must be a seamless and memorable experience such that they would want to ‘visit’ again.
- Your brand would be a magnet if it adheres to the highest and most stringent levels of quality. Great customer service, excellent online space management and other aspects notwithstanding, if the brand being promoted seems flawed in quality, especially if it is priced beyond the standard market rates, you can be sure that customers will sooner than later ditch the brand.
The one truth that we all know and agree with is that ‘the only constant is change’ and this is true even for the new brand / re-launched brand. It is up to the company to ensure that the brand seems new and updated all the time. Never allow the brand to appear static or dormant as that would kill the interest your customers have in it. Keep up the aura of the brand by creating events, news and other exciting activities – customers love these surprises and are happy to remain intrigued and curious about ‘what’s next’!
As the brand grows in size and fame, it is easy to become complacent and take its success for granted. However, as anyone in business knows taking success for granted is probably the most detrimental of aspects for a business. Once you make your brand a magnet don’t forget that this will not remain constant unless you make concerted effort to keep it so.
