The target audience should be clearly defined but broad enough to encompass a strong working definition of the company’s customer base.
This part of the brand positioning process will most likely take the longest to complete. However, understanding your audience is vital to communicating with them effectively and successfully.
It’s not uncommon for a business to reanalyze and refocus the definition of their target audience later in company growth. Often, the initial definition of the target audience is overly broad or segmented. Narrowing the definition often helps the marketplace or audience recognize that messaging is being specifically directed at recipients.
This greatly enhances messaging.
To construct a strong definition of your Target Audience, you need to have a very good understanding of who makes up this group. This requires market analysis that offers a level of depth past the obvious. It also mandates reasonable research goals within time and budget constraints.
This type of research is a classic case of “completable” being better than “ideal” because true market research is an ongoing rabbit hole. Market research never ends but the understanding of your Target Audience will continue to grow as your brand expands.
In the best case scenario, it’s an ongoing project. But you have to start somewhere.
Overwhelmed yet? Don’t be. It’s much easier than you think, once the market research is completed.
Here are some samples of target demographic statements:
The previous statements could lead to Target Audience statements like this:
Old Spice Body Wash: “For the active young man who wants to smell fresh and clean after a strenuous workout.”
Flirty Girl Fitness: “The aspirational activity and clothing for fit, fabulous and youthful women who want to add sex appeal to their workout.”
Remember this guiding principle:
Knowing your target audience is imperative. Understanding them leads to success and growth.
Continue exploring our Branding Dictionary here: http://www.momentacreative.com/news/branding-dictionary
What is Target Audience? (article)
https://www.thebalance.com/what-is-a-target-audience-2295567
10 Ways to Learn About Your Target Audience (video)
https://youtu.be/YSSEZw3Kepw
Identifying Target Audience for Social Media Campaigns (video)
https://youtu.be/Mt1Z3M2NPBk
Jamie Rose is partner & COO of Momenta Creative. We nicknamed Jamie the “Fun Machine” at the office because of her infectious laugh and unending energy. Don’t let the sparkling personality fool you. Her sharp, plugged-in approach to communications is what landed her previous positions with companies like The New York Times and The Global Fund, and what makes her indispensable to our clients today.
One established, popular brand personality scale, designed to span products and companies, contains 15 traits organized into 5 factors:
The establishment of brand personality allows the brand to be humanized and differentiated among competitors.
It gives your brand charisma.
Your brand personality should not be contrived.
Your brand personality should absolutely be authentic.
Let’s look at some famous brand personality samples:
Start with these questions to help you get to the heart of your brand’s personality:
What personality have you established for your brand thus far?
How will your brand personality advance the strategic goals of the brand development?
Will your brand personality today be compatible with tomorrow’s goals & objectives for the brand?
Continue exploring our Branding Dictionary here: http://www.momentacreative.com/news/branding-dictionary
Investopedia: Brand Personality
http://www.investopedia.com/terms/b/brand-personality.asp
What is Brand Personality?
http://www.managementstudyguide.com/brand-personality.htm
Definition of Brand Personality
http://kwhs.wharton.upenn.edu/term/brand-personality/
Jamie Rose is partner & COO of Momenta Creative. We nicknamed Jamie the “Fun Machine” at the office because of her infectious laugh and unending energy. Don’t let the sparkling personality fool you. Her sharp, plugged-in approach to communications is what landed her previous positions with companies like The New York Times and The Global Fund, and what makes her indispensable to our clients today.
The obvious use of a brand promise is to encourage the audience to buy the product or participate with your brand.
The efficacy of the promise depends entirely on whether it is believed and delivered upon. Just like the Brand Essence, you must take particular care to develop a promise that inspires, yet is supportable year after year. The promise should indicate what people can expect to receive from your organization in exchange for their money, partnership, or time.
While the brand promise must be crafted, and approved at the most senior level of the organization, it must resonate, and be understood by the most junior employee or removed stakeholder. Promises are made to be kept. Therefore, the brand promise should be carefully aligned with the company’s mission, future vision, and long-term strategic plan.
Finally, by it’s very nature, a carefully crafted brand promise should be should be believable.
To get you thinking about your brand promise, here are some examples from prominent brands:
Just remember, a brand promise must be: Concise. Believable. Effective.
Continue exploring our Branding Dictionary here:
http://www.momentacreative.com/news/branding-dictionary
The Best Brand Promise Examples We’ve Seen
https://stellaservice.com/the-best-brand-promise-examples-weve-seen-2/
The Brand Promise
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_WLerIIhzE
Why Brands Need a Clear Promise
https://hbr.org/video/2919363906001/why-brands-need-a-clear-promise
Old Mutual’s Our Brand Promise
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5QbI1DthRQ
Jamie Rose is partner & COO of Momenta Creative. We nicknamed Jamie the “Fun Machine” at the office because of her infectious laugh and unending energy. Don’t let the sparkling personality fool you. Her sharp, plugged-in approach to communications is what landed her previous positions with companies like The New York Times and The Global Fund, and what makes her indispensable to our clients today.
It is emotional and based on feelings.
A brand essence is intangible for your audience, unique to your brand and, most importantly, reliable.
It is not a commodity, nor is it product related. It is the essential feeling evoked in your audience when they hear your brand name. It combines the attributes and benefits of your brand succinctly. Therefore, your brand essence should be boiled down to one or maybe two words.
Let’s look at some well known brand essence examples:
A brand essence is meant to be authentic. Likewise, it must be scalable to your overall brand’s growth.
For example, a brand may want to choose the word “personal” because your customer service is direct and individualized. However, examine the essence in relationship to the growth of your brand.
Make sure your brand management team helps you pick an essence that doesn’t just feel right in the moment but also asks long-term strategic questions to help you define your brand essence for the goals of your company, small business, or nonprofit.
Continue exploring our Branding Dictionary here: http://www.momentacreative.com/news/branding-dictionary
Brand Essence (article)
https://strategicthinker.wordpress.com/brand-awareness-differentiation-framework/
Discovering your Brand Essence (article)
https://www.brandingstrategyinsider.com/2012/04/discovering-your-brand-essence
LinkedIn: Brand Essence (gallery of articles)
https://www.linkedin.com/topic/brand-essence
Jamie Rose is partner & COO of Momenta Creative. We nicknamed Jamie the “Fun Machine” at the office because of her infectious laugh and unending energy. Don’t let the sparkling personality fool you. Her sharp, plugged-in approach to communications is what landed her previous positions with companies like The New York Times and The Global Fund, and what makes her indispensable to our clients today.
The easiest definition comes from Wikipedia, “Brand is the name, term, design, symbol, or any other feature that identifies one seller’s product distinct from those of other sellers.”
However, that definition is not deep enough. A brand is more than a logo or a product. A brand is more than a graphic design package or catch phrase.
To say a brand is just a slogan is like saying a family is just a group of people who live together.
The great David Olgivy, aka “The Father of Advertising”, said, “A brand is the intangible sum of a product’s attributes: its name, packaging, and price, its history, its reputation, and the way it’s advertised.”
A brand is nuanced and multifaceted. It is a perception of distinctive products and services that define your company.
A great way to look at a brand comes from Conrad Phillips Vutech, “Branding is defining, promising and delivering a unique brand experience consistently. Branding distinguishes the brand from its competitions and builds preference.”
The brand is what your client thinks of upon hearing your name. It creates perception among your audience. It sets you apart and defines how you present your company, your product, your performance, and your mission. Your brand is the promise of an experience.
Continue exploring our Branding Dictionary here:
http://www.momentacreative.com/news/branding-dictionary/
What is a Brand, anyway? (article)
http://www.forbes.com/sites/jerrymclaughlin/2011/12/21/what-is-a-brand-anyway/
Branding: Identity Design w/ Yo Santosa via The Futur (video)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnSgHLBpOpw
Designing Brand Identity (book)
https://www.amazon.com/Designing-Brand-Identity-Essential-Branding/dp/1118099206
Jamie Rose is partner & COO of Momenta Creative. We nicknamed Jamie the “Fun Machine” at the office because of her infectious laugh and unending energy. Don’t let the sparkling personality fool you. Her sharp, plugged-in approach to communications is what landed her previous positions with companies like The New York Times and The Global Fund, and what makes her indispensable to our clients today.