Branding that resonates
Build Mode™ Issue 04.2024
It’s the third issue of Build Mode! Thanks for being here. We have an ambitious bunch made up of professionals working in real estate, architecture, engineering, construction, marketing, design, and development. Welcome all!
In today’s update, I’ll share how you can reach and resonate with those that truly value what you do.
Let’s go!
Your company can’t possibly appeal to anyone and everyone. It’d be a mistake to try. If your branding tries to appeal to everyone, it’ll end up so broad and generic that no one would bother to notice it.
By identifying a specific market and ideal client, you’ll be able to understand their unique needs and desires, appeal to them through your brand, and empower your business to grow.
Who are your people?
An intended audience (sometimes called a target audience, but that feels sort of ‘combative’ to me) is a segment of the population that would benefit from what you offer and whose values align with your own. They are usually individuals or companies with common characteristics, like demographics, or industry, or interests, or a combination of these.
Put simply, it’s the people you’re trying to reach.
And it doesn’t need to be limited to just one segment. There may be a small handful of segments with slight differences.
For example, a real estate investment firm might have different types of investors and affiliates they want to appeal to for a newly established fund. All with the shared common industry of real estate investment, but with unique traits.
One segment might be data-driven. More discerning than the average investor, these individuals would meticulously evaluate investment options. They prioritize understanding a firm’s track record and expertise.
Another might be more instinctual. They know what they’re looking for and a firm would serve them well by listening to their needs and guiding them accordingly. Their decision-making relies on chemistry and relationships, making trust easier to earn through rapport-building.
And yet another might not be an investor at all, but the conduit to investors. While prioritizing their role as responsible fiduciaries for their clients' investments, they are also driven by their own incentives. Clear and memorable information would be essential for them to deliver trustworthy advice and instill confidence in their clients.
So while an investment firm has an intended broader audience of ‘real estate investors’, understanding the specific traits of different segments within it helps identify what they care about most and how to appeal to their needs. If you’re writing and speaking to them, you’ll want messaging that is tailored, relevant, and brings them the highest value.
Why this matters:
Setting intentions on who your audience is helps you focus your branding and marketing efforts. Remember, we said we can’t possibly appeal to anyone and everyone. You can’t expect to be able to broadcast a message to reach millions of people and get prospects knocking down your door.
Your branding and marketing is most effective when it reaches those that are most likely to be interested in what you offer. Identifying and focusing on ideal clients allows you to appeal to your intended audience, maximize your effectiveness, and build stronger and more fulfilling client relationships.
So how can you be most ‘appealing’ to your intended audience?
Appealing isn’t just about being attractive (of course a brand that looks good is important – but beauty is only skin deep).
It’s resonance too.
Resonance is the sense of deep connection to one another on something that feels true.
To be truly resonant with those you serve, your brand needs to appeal to their psychological needs, their subjective desires and aspirations. Clients often make purchasing decisions based not on the rational benefits of a product, but rather, on how a product satisfies their emotional needs and resonates with their identity and values.
There’s a psychological theory, Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, that reminds us that human motivation is driven by a hierarchical arrangement of needs, ranging from the most basic to the highest aspirations.
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
Let's break it down:
→ At the base of Maslow's pyramid, we have physiological – the need for food, water, shelter, and sleep. Products that fulfill our physiological needs are often commoditized. The brands that elevate their messaging to higher level needs become more appealing to prospects (think Casper for the mattress industry, or Liquid Death in the packaged water category).
→ Moving up the pyramid, we encounter safety – the need for security, stability, and protection from harm. How can our offering provide peace of mind and assurance to our audience? You see marketing messaging for security from brands like Ring, Volvo, and Norton Antivirus, which appeal primarily for our need for safety.
→ Next up, we have love and belonging – the need for social connection, relationships, and a sense of community. Humans are social creatures by nature. How can we foster a sense of belonging and camaraderie within our community of customers? For multifamily developers, think about what a common amenity space is really for and how to clearly message the benefits of connection and building a sense of community with our human need for love and belonging.
→ As we ascend the pyramid, we reach esteem – the need for recognition, respect, and self-esteem. How can we empower them to achieve their goals and aspirations, bolstering their self-confidence along the way? Many luxury brands play in this space, knowing that carrying their logo – whether it’s Louis Vuitton, Mercedes-Benz, or Rolex – is reflecting a self-image that commands recognition.
Finally, at the pinnacle of Maslow's pyramid, we have self-actualization – the need for personal growth, fulfillment, and realizing one's full potential. I’m not sure about you, but my social feed has been flooded with personal development coaches pitching their courses, with a key message that speaks to our innate desire to see the best version of ourselves actualized.
What you can do right now:
Now that you know about intended audience and how to speak to their emotional needs, let’s look at how you can effectively identify the people you’re trying to reach and deliver a brand that resonates.
Develop a profile for each person
For each of your intended audience segments, develop a profile for them. There might be only one, or there might be five, but usually no more than that. If you find yourself writing for more than five, there’s a likelihood that some of your segments might be similar enough that they can be consolidated. Like the real estate investment firm examples above, develop multiple profiles to represent different segments of your market, ensuring a comprehensive understanding of your audience.
The profiles I develop have four parts:
1. Write a description of who they are and what they value
What are their pain points, desires, fears, and aspirations? The insights here come from knowing your current clients, former clients, and conversations with prospective clients. What do they prioritize in life, and what principles guide their decision-making process?
2. Identify their functional needs
What do clients get when they work with you? Literally - what’s the deliverable? Functional needs pertain to the practical, tangible requirements that clients seek to fulfill through a product or service. They are the product, the features, the solutions.
3. Identify their emotional needs
How do clients feels when they work with you? What are their emotional needs and how they fit into the levels of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs (physiological, security, belonging, esteem, and achievement)?
4. Develop value proposition(s)
With the insights on their functional and emotional needs, and how your product can deliver on those needs, articulate how your product or service addresses their pain points, fulfills their desires, and aligns with their core values. Where their pain points and your offer overlap lies your unique value proposition. This unique value proposition, along with the benefits you offer, further separates you from other industry players.
And finally, put yourself in their shoes. With every word you write, every graphic you create, every brand touchpoint with them… make sure it appeals to them, but more importantly, make sure it resonates.
That’s a wrap for the April issue of Build Mode!
If you have any ideas to share, or questions to ask, reach out. I’m open to hearing your thoughts and making this most useful message in your inbox this week. If you think this might help a friend, feel free to forward it to them and encourage them to join us.
Wishing you a wonderful month of April. Talk soon!
Best.
Kenny Isidoro
Work zone
Some other things I’ve been up to this past monthLaunching:
The case study for Topograph is live! It's been fun to collaborate with Eastland Partners and Wingate Companies on this one. Through an in-depth brand strategy, we identified the qualities that could make this place special, and then we went all-in on bringing this breath of fresh air to Auburn, MA. Check it out → Topograph.
Mentoring:
Last week was the kickoff for AIGA Boston's mentorship program and I'm thrilled to be matched up with a young designer fresh out of school and exploring what's next for him. The program is a great way to stay connected to the organization and help guide professionals to the next version of their professional selves.
Archiving:
If you weren’t here for last month’s issue of Build Mode on brand positioning, you can find it at mudeo.ck.page (for now). I’m still working on finding the right place for past issues and whether they stay on a separate site, on my own website as blog posts, or just as emails.
Experimenting:
I’m considering putting together a subscription service model. On-demand branding and marketing services for business leaders in build mode. Interested? If your organization would like to take part in a pilot program (aka be a guinea pig), give me a ring!
If you want to find the secrets of the universe,
think in terms of energy, frequency, and vibration.
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