As a business owner and marketing professional I recognize the need to stay informed and educated about industry trends. Yesterday I had the opportunity to attend the local New Mexico American Marketing Association’s Lunch N’Learn Program with special guest Lucas Conley, author of the book titled Obsessive Branding Disorder. The event was taped by KNME for their popular weekly affairs program “New Mexico in Focus†and co-hosted by Gene Grant.
I found author Conley to be very interesting with his insight into the branding-obsessed society we all live in. His insights led to a compelling call to action for every business to return to a course of innovation, authenticity and quality in branding, marketing and overall corporate culture.
Over the past 10 years I have seen brands and consumer needs spread wide apart from the company’s message to delivery and the perception from the consumer. With multigenerational consumers and everyone watching how they spend their dollars, branding will need to align with consumer needs to be effective. What are you doing to answer a consumer need or identify with your customer to meet that need?
If you have a competitor that has like products or services, it is time to really identify your own branding style and persona and market those differences, no matter how small. Consumers are smart and can recognize whether you and your company are compassionate and able to meet their needs. Today’s consumer is also smart enough to know when you are copying your competition or branding yourself to be someone you are not. Companies no longer can usurp the consumer’s knowledge and experience with false branding or pretending their business can provide something they cannot. Today’s educated consumer ensures that companies with integrity, morals and values will end up on top while the companies who copy or put on a false persona will not.
Have you ever heard of religious selling proposition? This is a way for businesses to identify with consumers by using logical extensions and morals and incorporate those with civic values through their own branding. Today’s consumer needs to feel connected to your product or service and if they do not, then it does not matter what brand you have to identify with your product or service.
The current economic climate demands that marketers stay on top of their game. Veteran marketing gurus recognize the need to review basic promotion principles while implementing current trends toward technology and social media. In our efforts to provide exceptional service and develop community relationships, EXHIB-IT!, provides free marketing seminars, in addition to a “Tradeshow Network†that allows companies to sign up to find out information about upcoming shows in their industry that they may want to attend or exhibit in. It’s just one way we implement innovation and genuine concern for our clients while distinguishing our company from the competitors.
