There's a lot of different philosophies about how to build a brand—business, personal, or otherwise—and there's no "right" way. But there is a right way to start.
The default for most people is to start with stimuli. Look for what an audience is asking for and then build around that. But populist products are usually wholly uninteresting and unimaginative. A populist product sometimes makes a buck, but it rarely makes a difference.
And besides, what your audience is asking for is usually not what they need. Or even what they want.
Famously, the story has circulated of the person at the store looking for a drill. Their goal and aspiration isn't to own a drill. They need the drill to make a hole. But they don't need the hole, they need the new shelf mounted to the wall. And they don't need the new shelf mounted to the wall, they need the pride of having improved their home, or the approval of a loved one, or that first big project done so they can get more skilled in DIY, or just the confidence that they can do what they set out to do.
Not what they’re asking for—what they’re doing.
Not what they’re doing—who they are.
Not who they are—who they want to become.
Faced with the choice of drills, they will choose the one that helps them fulfill who they want to become. If they're just trying to get it done, they'll choose on price. If they're planning to do a lot more projects, they might choose the one with the best reputation for a long life. If they're looking for confidence, they might choose the one that feels most approachable for a newbie.
That's the rubber meeting the road for your brand. Everything from the advertising you've done before this moment, to the merchandising in store, to the way the box is designed and the benefits you choose to list on the display impact this person's perception of your brand and its compatibility with who they want to become.
It's a split-second decision, but the groundwork has been laid long before that moment. And if you just sell drills because people buy drills, you've missed an opportunity to empower your customer with something that moves them, not just something they buy.
And so I have been thinking about that—for you. Who do you want to become? What can I create to prepare you for where you want to go? If you're looking to create interesting or imaginative things and connect them to people, come along and let's talk about the human-centered brand development.
Until next time,
KB
The default for most people is to start with stimuli. Look for what an audience is asking for and then build around that. But populist products are usually wholly uninteresting and unimaginative. A populist product sometimes makes a buck, but it rarely makes a difference.
And besides, what your audience is asking for is usually not what they need. Or even what they want.
Famously, the story has circulated of the person at the store looking for a drill. Their goal and aspiration isn't to own a drill. They need the drill to make a hole. But they don't need the hole, they need the new shelf mounted to the wall. And they don't need the new shelf mounted to the wall, they need the pride of having improved their home, or the approval of a loved one, or that first big project done so they can get more skilled in DIY, or just the confidence that they can do what they set out to do.
Not what they’re asking for—what they’re doing.
Not what they’re doing—who they are.
Not who they are—who they want to become.
Faced with the choice of drills, they will choose the one that helps them fulfill who they want to become. If they're just trying to get it done, they'll choose on price. If they're planning to do a lot more projects, they might choose the one with the best reputation for a long life. If they're looking for confidence, they might choose the one that feels most approachable for a newbie.
That's the rubber meeting the road for your brand. Everything from the advertising you've done before this moment, to the merchandising in store, to the way the box is designed and the benefits you choose to list on the display impact this person's perception of your brand and its compatibility with who they want to become.
It's a split-second decision, but the groundwork has been laid long before that moment. And if you just sell drills because people buy drills, you've missed an opportunity to empower your customer with something that moves them, not just something they buy.
And so I have been thinking about that—for you. Who do you want to become? What can I create to prepare you for where you want to go? If you're looking to create interesting or imaginative things and connect them to people, come along and let's talk about the human-centered brand development.
Until next time,
KB