Tag Archives: modern8ight

Branding Marketing

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We define branding as a strategic and emotional foundation that builds customer loyalty over time.

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Marketing is typically defined as the action of promoting and selling goods and services.

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We’ve often been asked if we also offer marketing, and, up until now, we’ve politely declined by stating that we are primarily specialized in brand design, then referring our clients to a marketing agency.

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However, we’ve noticed a gap between marketing and branding—they don’t always work synergistically together, and our clients are missing the opportunity to build brand customer loyalty in the short term and over time.

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So what did we do? We launched a brand-based, full-service marketing, sister organization to modern8—a8ency.

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a8ency is about creating compelling and innovative campaigns that bridge the gap between marketing and design, in order to reach your target audience.

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We are also excited to introduce our modern8 audience to a8ency’s Managing Director, Eric Dahl, who comes with years of marketing experience and will be leading the a8 charge. Eric will share his brand marketing perspectives and experiences, which will provide you with insights on bolstering the value of your brand.

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Your Brand Om

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As consumers, we’re pretty familiar with taglines and the general purpose that they serve.

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Some brand taglines have become so successful that they are well-integrated into our language and pop culture as normal euphemisms, such as “maybe it’s Maybelline or maybe it’s…”.

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But what goes into this deceptively simple element of your brand?

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Taglines are the memorable, compelling, and concise way to tell what your brand stands for and promises.

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They can adapt and transcend as time moves on, while carrying your brand’s essence, personality, and more.

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Taglines are built from a thorough understanding of your brand, and, once you develop a tagline, they should be used frequently and consistently to build cachet.

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“Brand mantras are poetry. And they are powerful tools, not just for building brands, but for building organizations.” – Chris Grams

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(The remedy for your dynamite brand)

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Short and Sweet

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Headlines are a succinct way of creating brand-based communications that are insightful to your brand’s priorities, personality, values, and more.

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As a strategy-first agency, we believe in referencing the strategic columns of your brand in order to build any form of messaging.

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Because headlines are meant to be efficient and effective forms of communication, it’s better to build them strategically and relevantly for wherever and whomever they are placed.

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As prominent copywriter Eugene Schwartz put it, “There is your audience. There is the language. There are the words that they use.”

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Writing intentional headlines with focus also prevents them from feeling generic or, on the opposite side, from being so encumbered that you lose all understanding and meaning.

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A well thought out headline builds additional layers of visible character for your brand. Therefore, develop headlines that deepen your brand perception over ones that only exist to acknowledge and compete with the competition.

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“Good advertising is written from one person to another. When it is aimed at millions it rarely moves anyone.” – Fairfax M. Cone

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(You’re only as solid as what you build on.)

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But is it Worth It

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Headlines began with an attention-seeking purpose to beat out and stifle competition amongst newspapers.

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Though headlines are still used for that purpose, they can do so much more.

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We may think of headlines as a common occurrence and a second nature element of our daily world, however, we should think about them with more intention.

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Headlines don’t only grab focus, they can function as a quick guide and summary into the information you carry, for instance on your website, especially for your target audience.

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Well-written headlines are also useful for your brand campaigns, marketing collateral, blogs, and more, as a glimpse of your brand tone and perspective on the world.

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Remember that most of us skim what we read these days to quickly assess for value, so the brevity of headlines will always be a necessary and key tool for any brand.

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“On the average, five times as many people read the headline as read the body copy. When you have written your headline, you have spent eighty cents out of your dollar.” – David Ogilvy

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(When you take a trip to Imagination Station…)

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Brand Persuasion

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Your potential customers need to know why they should buy from you and your brand.

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You’ve done the research and spoken with your brand’s potential clients, and you’ve also spent time defining and understanding your brand and who you are.

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Now the task is to figure out how do you signal your future buyers and bring them into the fold?

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You need to speak to your audience using the right platforms (i.e., social media platforms, events, podcasts) where they exist, and utilize the right voice, tone, and correct message.

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Formulating the visuals and messaging takes creativity. Getting seen in the right place and gauging if it works is a science.

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“Don’t think that those millions will read your ads to find out if your product interests. They will decide at a glance — by your headline or your pictures. Address the people you seek, and them only.” – Claude Hopkins

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Assignment: Write about the last 5 headlines/ads that were served to you, and what you remember about where they were and what they said. What worked to capture your attention? Was it the words? the design? the placement?

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(Make sure they’re the right buyer…)

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Know More, Know Better

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In today’s modern world, brands must be aware.

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It’s crucial to know and understand how other brands, including yours, are currently functioning and living within the real world.

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With how quickly the climate and trends can shift, you should initiate a competitive review process sooner than later, but where do you begin?

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Start simply by examining the visual look and feel of your brand, followed by your key positioning points, mission, values, messaging, and the like.

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These initial metrics are a great starting point for examining your brand’s uniqueness (or lack thereof) amongst other brands within your industry, as most of this information is likely readily available and provided by your competitors.

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As soon as you begin competitive auditing, it will be evident where your brand is strong/weak, outdated/innovative, distinctive/common, etc.

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A competitive audit is usually the push that brings about a rebrand and/or strategic redevelopment that better aligns with where your brand is today rather than where it began. After all, like people, brands do grow.

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(Somebody’s always watching. 👀)

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Get the Picture

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So have you ever taken a hard look at your competitors?

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And do you know who your real competitors are?

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Completing a competitive audit will show you where and how you are positioned amongst your competitors.

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An audit will also help you discover where you must pivot your brand in order to have and maintain the competitive edge.

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A competitive audit can encapsulate a range of data, from understanding the competitor’s usual quantitative measurements to their more qualitative metrics, like world perception, values, brand aesthetic, and more.

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The purpose of a competitive review has a large function for your brand. You and your marketing should look, feel, and sound different (and better) than the competition.

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“An audit is an opportunity to build a complete understanding of the business and establish context for the branding solution.” 
– David Kendall

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(If you’ve got it, flaunt it.)

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Be the Only One

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When you find the thing that only you can provide, it’s time to make that piece very important to your desired buyers.

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Locally owned Nielsen’s Frozen Custard went so far as to put their Onl Only on a sign — “Only Nielsens uses the custard freezing machine patented by Steve.”

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I’ve never thought about the freezing method for custard, but now I personally can’t help but think that Nielsen’s custard must somehow be better because of Steve’s invention!

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Remember you should let the Only Only be known by your buyers, especially if you are the only one who can get a job done.

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And the only people who are turned off by the message in your Only Only are non-buyers. Stick with the group who cares and identifies with your Only-ness.

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If your product or service is identical to other offerings out there, then you need to find something ownable that makes you stand apart, like Nielsen’s—clarify what only you can provide.

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Question: What Only Only, over the next 12 months, would drive an increase of value for your brand? It could be an increase through sales, desire, hiring, or whatever else. What Only Only can you provide and how can you message this to potential buyers?

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(It’s really that simple.)

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Make It Only You

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We believe that all brands have that one unique thing.

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Understanding the unique aspect of your brand, product, service, etc., allows you to play up your distinguishing characteristic, and it is the why that tells someone only you and you alone can accomplish their needs.

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We label this the Only Only. The only thing that you can provide—no one else.

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The Only Only can feel super niche, like it fits in a small pool, or it can be Blue Ocean Strategy large.

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You should only develop the Only Onlys, from the many potential available, that are truly meaningful, distinguishing, and interesting to potential or current customers/clients.

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Only Onlys stem from a variety of things, such as cost, benefits, care, people, availability, specific knowledge, and more.

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Action: Start to list your Only Onlys that easily come to mind. Maybe different products and services have their own unique propositions. For as many different products, services, and/or brands that you manage, work on listing and sorting your Only Onlys accordingly.

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(A shining example of a super niche Only Only ✨)

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Marketing Algebra 101

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The effects of marketing will drive a wedge between your product and your competitor’s in a customer’s mind.

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But what factors can you utilize that will equate to creating this effect?

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Well, how about examining it this way—people, like me, purchase this X-product because of Y-reason. Now factor in your product or service as X in the equation.

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Let’s also think of the opposite too, where people, like me, would never purchase XX’s (your competitor’s) product because of YY (or perhaps it can’t meet their Y need).

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Solving for X + Y will become the equation that answers what your messaging should focus on for your various and key buyer personas.

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You find the solution to the problem, especially, when you examine interviews and data from your target customers.

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Action: Find and talk to a small sample of buyers that can help solve your X and Y. In addition to learning why people will and do buy from you, take the time to also get to know why people won’t buy from you.

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(It all adds up)

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