CHICAGO–How can you get consumers to so connect with your credit union that they actually care about your brand? One person is offering three strategies for doing just that.
Andrew Thomas, founder of Skybell Video Doorbell, wrote on Inc.com that “when you look at successful brands, you'll notice a few key things. First, they know how to reach their audience. Second, they connect and build trust with their audience. Third, they know how to motivate their prospective customers to take action.
“The reasons for a product's attention-grabbing success, or lack thereof, are as varied as the customers who buy them, or ignore them,” continued Thomas. “Sometimes the exact magic can be hard to describe, and even harder to duplicate. Yet no matter your niche, or your target demographic, you can still find clues by looking at how other brands have garnered attention and support for their products.”
Among Thomas’ suggestions:
Make Authentic Video
Thomas noted that since it first aired on YouTube in 2012, Michael Dubin's hilarious video Dollar Shave Club has stood up as perhaps the greatest brand video of the last decade (and maybe ever). The video has been seen over 26 million times and was instrumental in helping Dollar Shave Club reach critical adoption before it was acquired in 2016, he said.
“Yes, the video was incredibly funny, yet it was also authentic. Dubin stayed true to his improvisation skills and to the product,” wrote Thomas. “That's likely why it was so well received, and shared.”
Another example: Blendtec's "Will It Blend?" campaign.
Make a Meaningful Connection
If you want to deepen trust and strengthen bonds with your customers, hone in on the values that you share, advised Thomas. In a 2012 Corporate Executive Board study of more than 7,000 consumers, 64 percent cited shared values as the crux of their connections to a brand. And in the 2018 Edelman Earned Brand study, 60 percent of respondents felt that brands should make their values more apparent right up to the point of purchase. There are many examples of brands that successfully go beyond the actual product and connect to a customer's "why,” noted Thomas.
As an example, Thomas said M&C Saatchi LA nailed this idea in its "Print Your Legacy" campaign for Epson. Instead of focusing its efforts directly on selling printers, the Santa Monica-based creative agency built a powerful message around a shared passion for photography.
“The campaign called upon photographers to commend the value of print in their creative work. By leveraging the voices of these artists to demonstrate the power of print, the campaign helped consumers tap into the deeper connection between themselves and the photos they take,” wrote Thomas. “This helped differentiate Epson as a leader in photographic printing.
“Consumers don't always care about product features and specifications,” he continued. “Go deeper, and connect over the human emotions and meaningful motivations of your customers.”
Go to the Crowd
It's human nature that people like to feel important, observed Thomas.
“Smart brands understand that they can tap into that natural human desire and use it to garner interest and attention from consumers. Crowdfunding and crowd-sourcing campaigns have proven this theory, and they are great for brands and customers.”
In his own crowdfunding campaign that raised $580,000 in 30 days, Thomas said beyond the money one of the most valuable things he received in those 30 days was the direct feedback from backers. “While we certainly had core functionality decided at the time, consumers added perspective on how they wanted things to work, what features they liked and which ones they didn't. We welcomed the feedback and showed backers that we heard them. This was great for both sides. We received the funding we needed and valuable consumer feedback. Consumers received a product that worked how they wanted it to work, right from the first iteration.”
Final Word
Thomas added, “There’s no way around the fact that customers are the lifeblood of any business. You need to get in front of customers, you need them to care and you need them to act. Consider the ideas above and think about how you can translate these ideas to your business. The answers won't always be identical to the examples above. It takes creativity to come up with the proper application of these ideas for your own business, products and audience.”