How to create brand marketing that sells

Hey - it's Ian

What’s stopping your brand marketing from driving real sales and revenue?

Too much focus on your product, or your purpose.

Here’s three mistakes marketers make that stop brand campaigns from selling.

Estimated read time: 1 minute & 58 seconds

1. Bland messages

Most purpose and product campaigns fail for the same reasons - their messages are generic.

Purpose campaigns are generic because they are too high on the benefit ladder (e.g. the purpose of every telco and transportation company is ‘connecting people’).

Product campaigns are generic because they are too low on the benefit ladder (e.g. cheaper, faster, simpler).

Solution

Instead of focusing on your why (purpose) or your what (product), your brand campaigns should articulate the unique value your brand can deliver - which is often a company’s how.

Example

Avis - We try harder

Hertz was the largest car rental company in America, so Avis framed a service play that positioned them as the scrappy underdog that everyone could relate to

2. Lacking relevance

Most purpose campaigns overshoot the market because they focus on messages unrelated to the drivers of purchase in the category - (e.g. a toilet paper brand talking about world peace).

At the same time, most product focused campaigns undershoot the total addressable market because they speak in jargon that's only relevant to buyers in the category. (e.g. our ‘new 6400 x 4500 pixel density monitor’ ...yawn)

Solution

The most successful brand campaigns speak to both current and future customers with a simple and contagious story about the company.

Example

Braniff Airlines - The end of the plain plane

All the major airlines were boring, so Braniff Airlines decided to position itself as the fun way to fly

3. No emotional response

Most purpose campaigns are guilty of evoking a single type of emotion (tugs on heartstrings) which is often the wrong emotion of the category.

However, most product focused campaigns are overly rational and evoke no emotion at all.

Solution

The most successful brand campaigns use a broad palette of emotions (outrage, humour, wit, intelligence, etc.) that are relevant to the pains and gains in the category.

Example

T-Mobile: The Uncarrier

T-Mobile didn't have the network coverage or speed to compete against market leaders; they decided to tear up the rules and channel customer frustrations