Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/314415
28 FEDA News & Views T wenty years ago, a brand concept might have included a color and particular font so customers could recognize a company's storefront. But today's brand isn't just exter- nal imagery and a few consistent words. The most powerful brands today are made of conversations taking place in every possible marketing platform. For consumer brands, think of Red Bull. It's not satisfied with people thinking of its brand as just another energy drink. Not only is it meeting consumers online and in broadcast ads, but it also drives conversations about its daring image by sponsoring athletes to skydive from space. That activity gets people thinking about the brand, and more importantly, talking about it. The Current State of Brand Conversations Brand conversations are often still too one-dimensional. After meeting the initial needs of a client, there's typically no effort to evolve or change the customer's perception of the service provider. After all, marketing's end goal is to get the client's attention—so you're already failing if you're not doing anything bigger with that interest in mind. It's also been widely discussed that the millennial genera- tion has changed the way marketing must be handled. This generation wants instant information, continual access to your products and services, and immediate updates to your offerings. They never want to feel out of touch or out of the loop, so it's become your job to keep them involved with your brand through regular social media updates and emails that inform, entertain, and engage. After meeting the initial needs of the client, there's typi- cally no effort to evolve or change the client's perception of the service provider. Perhaps it's also time to consider adopting a "land and expand" approach. This is where the brand and value proposition can really take root for a client. Once you have a client's interest with something they know you do well, you can then introduce new service offerings as a way to continue to shape the way they think about you. Businesses continue to grow and change, and you have to make sure the perception of your brand does as well. In a marketing services business, for instance, some cus- tomers might think you're merely experts at CRM implemen- tation. But once you impress them with your expertise in that area, you're in a much better position to let them know you also offer branding overhauls, website services, and copywrit- ing. Creating an inside sales cycle depends on doing a great job at what a client thinks you do and what you suggest you can do for them next. Nurture Your Brand in the Minds of Your Customers The term "nurture" applies here because that's exactly what you're doing: nurturing your position, your message and the clients' trust. This is much more likely to be effective in the middle of the lifecycle, after the initial introduction to the brand, because it's backed up by product and service uti- lization. The client has had time to kick the tires, and is now ready to buy the full car. So if you let the client believe you only sell tires, you'd be doing the company a disservice and underselling your value and expertise. Building a conversation as a brand means not being satisfied with what people already think about your company. It's a good start to have people already talking about your products and services. But you also have to listen to what they're say- ing and tailor your content and messaging based on that. If a client says, "oh, I didn't know you offered marketing Using Marketing Conversations to Build a Memorable Brand By Justin Gray