Make sure to cover your audience’s short-term needs with a long-term idea

I’ve had a few conversations with clients of late about developing a “big idea” for their brand.

And one of the concerns I’ve heard to this thinking (and it’s a valid concern) from clients is that a large number of customers engage their company with a specific product or service in mind, and that their selection or deselection decision may be negatively influenced by a brand that doesn’t immediately deliver on this need, or communication that seems too conceptual.

My answer to this is threefold:

1. There’s a reason that global, wildly successful brands like McDonald’s and Coke don’t stand on “We make cheap, yummy, nutritionally-challenged food” or “We make the best sugar water on earth” respectively. Both these brands are built around an idea, something larger and inspirational, and it works. (McD – it’s about the experience as well as the food “I’m lovin’ it.” Coke – we sell happiness “Have a Coke and a smile” or “Open happiness.”)

2. Which is not to say that these brands don’t spotlight a particular product – they run promotions and develop new directions or products (McRib Sandwich, Diet Coke) but everything falls neatly under the overall brand idea, and when it doesn’t, it shows (hello New Coke).

3. If you don’t have a big idea, you may keep short term sales but you’re losing something else – long term growth. Each of us have an idea of what McDonalds or Coke is all about, and that idea encourages us to try something unexpected from each company – such as a line of fruit smoothies or gourmet coffee from McD’s, or a line of apparel from Coke. This kind of innovation is crucial to growth, and a solid brand is a big step toward making that happen.

This last point has to be underlined. Your customer may walk in the door with a particular need or product in mind and your company needs to answer that need. But where to go from there? A solid brand, a solid brand idea, opens the door to solving the customer’s problem, to educating them about your host of services, to changing the interaction from a simple in-and-out transaction to a relationship. It can take your company or organization out of the “drive thru window” space to a sit down restaurant – this is a good thing. A good thing that starts with an idea, a concept, that people remember, and more importantly, trade with peers.

The balance then is making sure your brand is flexible enough to address immediate, specific needs from your customer while introducing a memorable, guiding idea that can grow and evolve as your company grows and evolves.

Simple right? Ok then go do it. If you get stuck, call us.

Read more posts by Jeff Caporizzo