It Is The Product, Stupid!
The "big" idea in marketing is to make a product that people want, or at least one that provides value. But whether you're selling a product or service, it pays to remember the difference between making a good product, and a great one.
In this blog post we'll look at what makes either type of marketing so important, as well as how you can provide more value for your customers. Let's get started with making more revenue with less effort by considering your uniqueness.
For the article "Know Your Worth", please see our blog post with the same title: https://discoveringyourbrand.com/blog/2018/10/20/know-your-worth . "Know Your Worth" was the article that started our website Discovering Your Brand, where we provide marketing solutions for business owners and executives.
You are already unique. You can't buy that kind of branding. Your uniqueness is all about what you provide, and if you can deliver it in a way that is unrivaled, then you have created raving fans for life! Here are some tips to establish your uniqueness:
Here are some brands that have helped us learn how to be "the best" at what we do – by combining our passion for their product or service with the value we got from them. Many of these brands were founded by entrepreneurs who have a strong sense of purpose and value, which was then translated into their business.
How do you want to be remembered? That's the question that many of these brands helped us answer. They may not know it, but they have been our mentors as we've built our small business. Consider which ones are closest to your heart. We hope you'll consider using these examples as you build a brand that is meaningful to your customers and 100% unique to your sense of purpose and mission.
Learning from Brands who Make Great Products:
Ink Monkey Tattoo Supply Company – Tattooing is most definitely more than a business. It is an art form and it represents a lifestyle. Ink Monkey was founded by tattoo artists for tattoo artists, and they pride themselves on the fact that they are 100% percent run by tattooers, and a 100% percent Tattoo Supply Company. On their site, if you click on their "About Us" tab, you'll see photos of their co-owners getting tattoos. They are real people who allow others to be unique – in order to protect the integrity of being different themselves.
This image is from their blog. Here you'll find a great blog post titled "What Made Tattooing a lifestyle instead of just another job ?" The answer to that question is the Ink Monkey ethos. They are truly proud to be helping us create our own unique brand, and even more proud that they are helping us fulfill our own mission and values by providing the best tattoo supplies ever made.
Ask yourself how much you value your customers, and if you can do something unique for them in order to provide more value than your competition. That's what we did with Ink Monkey Tattoo Supply Company. To read more about our experience with this brand, please visit their page on our site: https://discoveringyourbrand.com/blog/ink-monkey-tattoo-supply/
Thinking Outside The Box:
It's getting to be a cliche in the world of marketing, but that's only because it works. If you want to be different, then you have to think differently. In fact, really THINK about what people want and how they would perceive your product or service before you rush into anything that will put your brand at risk.
Many of the products and services we've seen that have created "world class brands" are the products and services that present us with a real opportunity to be more unique and provide more value than our competition. There are only so many ice cream flavors, after all. But some businesses have been able to come up with new ways to compete by providing a product or service that is clearly worth it – even if it's something you never thought of before.
So how do you come up with a new way to provide value – that is still valuable to your customers but different from the others? How do you get your product or service in front of people in a way that feels fresh and unrivaled? You have to think uniquely, while being original at the same time. That's easier said than done, but these brands found ways to make it work:
How does The Franklin Mint differ from other jewelry makers? By creating a jewelry brand based on Hollywood nostalgia! It's such an easily relatable concept for women who want something special without being ostentatious. And their jewelry design team is full of professionals who know how to make a design that doesn't look like it came from an old Hollywood papier-mache model.
The Franklin Mint has become so popular for this reason, and it is because they are the only company that creates what they call "Forever Memories". A forever memory can be anything – a moment in time that lives on even in the years to come. They have created timeless pieces of jewelry by creating designs using precious metals and stones that will never tarnish – or go out of style. It's a huge niche market in our opinion, but it is one that we are willing to pay for and we think there are many other people who think the same way.
Conclusion:
If you are looking for ideas on how to create a brand that is more meaningful, then consider the examples above. Also consider the brands that you've been using for years. And if you're still confused, then let's chat! Drop us a line and we'll see how we can help you build your brand one step at a time.
About the Author: Aimee Elizabeth is the author of the book "Discover Your Brand" which helps business owners and executives find their unique voice and leverage it to create a personal brand that attracts customers and challenges competitors.