We regularly see brands that are missing the mark in their marketing efforts, in that “the knee bone is not connected to the thigh bone”- this lack of integration and consistency can damage brands and diminish results.
Wise old Benjamin Franklin once said, “For every minute spent organising, an hour is earned”. It takes a little more thought & coordination, however time invested in planning a campaign or better still, your communications and promotions for the next quarter or year ahead – can pay dividends in results.
Strategic planning helps establish clear campaign or communication objectives, and along with its coordination and integration, will ensure your brand has:
1. A Clear Purpose
To give clarity and purpose to your marketing, it’s worth questioning the following;
Target audience
Who are they? What are they interested in? What promotions will appeal?
How do they communicate and what media do they consume?
Do you have multiple audiences and therefore need several strategies or altered campaigns per customer type?
Defining your audience and developing marketing materials that will appeal to your customers, will ensure your customers can easily identify with your brand and become brand supporters.
Key messages
What key messages do you need to convey to your audience? Will these key messages connect with them? Do they drive emotion to take action?
Promotions
What is the offer? Is it appealing to your audience & why? How will it be promoted?Product differentiation
How is your brand different? Does it stand out from the mass choice of other like-products?
2. Brand Relevance
Will your customer relate to your brand – is it relevant to them?
Endear or introduce your brand to customers
Provide relatable content that is geared towards your customer’s interests or problems in the form of blogs, media releases, videos, landing pages and advertisements and so on.
Timeliness of communications
Ensure your promotions and activities are timely eg. Gardening products in Spring, Hams at Christmas, Cold & Flu products in Winter.
3. Increased Brand Strength
Invest in your brand
Develop more than a logo, its colours and a tagline. Take the time to build a strategy behind your brand, by defining its brand values, its personality, it key messages, and its point of difference (it’s USP).
Brand consistency is key.
Apply its look, its personality, its key messages, consistently across all mediums and in all marketing materials. Over time, consistency builds your brands’ strength as well as its positive impact within the minds of your customers.
4. Maintain Top of Mind Awareness
Regularity is crucial (with sufficient exposure and repetition)
Have sufficient touchpoints for your audience to see your brand regularly, with rich content so that your customers will not only know your products/services but feel good about buying your products or engaging with your brand.
Targeted timing
Some brands are only promoted once a year but at the same time each year, when its relevant. Take Bertocchi Hams for example, they only advertise once a year – in December for Christmas – yet when they do promote its timely, relevant, maximised & effective.
5. Better Implementation - A Marketing Road Map
A marketing road map that’s planned out for implementation, gives all team members a plan to work from that ultimately saves time, effort and money as well. It will also improve deliverables and outcomes. A thorough strategy and road map will guide your marketing team in every brand-related task they carry out – from the layout of your website to your social media. If you need a Marketing Road Map template, just ask BEAM.
Need help planning a strategy for your brand?
As sound strategy coupled with integrated marketing will not only strengthen your brand but deliver a consistent and effective brand experience for your customers.
Need an external marketing team to help drive your brand?
BEAM Creative holds workshops for both marketing and branding and provides external marketing team services to brands of all sizes.
