Becoming a healthy brand is much tougher than just answering one question. Yes, it will also take far more time to ponder than both you and I have the desire to think about at this moment. However, this is a realistic discussion topic that every company and marketing department must think about and answer. First of all, if you are not sure where to start, you came to the right place. Here is one question that can be discussed over lunch with your peers that can be tackled relatively quickly. It may take more than just one discussion, but the time put in to tackling this question and actually answering it correctly will be well worth the positive outcome on the other end.
How Do We Know What “Brand Attributes” The Company Should Define and Communicate To The Prospective Customers?
Brand attributes are traits or characteristics that help define the company. They also could be part of your company’s value proposition. Brand attributes are: What makes your company who you are and why customers do business with you? Additionally, your value proposition is the answer to the question, “why do we exist?” Answer these as clear and purposeful as you possibly can. You just may be surprised at what you uncover.
Sometimes attributes and the value proposition become so normal and natural they get lost in the everyday company narrative, sales and marketing language used to attract, earn and keep customers. It’s important to define both attributes and the value proposition in a bullet list or even in a sentence narrative. Writing these out will help your team to fully understand what attributes make up your company and why they are important to your prospective customers. You will find that some attributes are foundational to the company’s culture, products and services and part of the overall value proposition. Some are not foundational, yet can be used in marketing material. Tricky, but important to understand nonetheless.
“Today’s consumers are craving more than just a product or a service. They want relationships and personal, human interactions.” -Workfront
Don’t Forget To Talk To Your Customers
You want to understand what makes customers tick and what motivates them to want to do business with your company instead of your competition? The more interactions your company has with real people, the more powerful your brand attributes and value proposition become to help turn prospects into real customers.
Depending on the size of your company, you will want to have a discussion with many people. This includes the C-level officers of the company, the sales team, the product development team and most importantly, your customers. As marketers, make sure you know the brand attributes and value proposition from all angles. Place this information front and center and integrate it with your marketing messages, sales collateral, branding and corporate communications and HR material. This information should also be embraced by the entire company culture. They are the ingredients that help tell your brand story.