From my work at a busy NJ Branding Agency, I’ve learned that there are two kinds of brands. Brands that are bold, and brands that are afraid to offend. My question to you is: do you really want your brand to stand out? Or are you content with just increasing your share a little?
These are very different objectives. Brands that just want to do “a little better” tend to avoid risk. Why? They don’t want to lose what they already have. That may be fine if brands are satisfied with where they are and, really, just want to grow a little. But when I think about the hundreds of clients I’ve spoken with, that’s a sentiment I have yet to hear. Because everyone wants to grow much bigger, and they want to right now.
One thing I hear from brands all the time is that they want to stand out. They want to connect with consumers. They want to be engaging and engaged with, and stand for something. Yet many of them are afraid to do what it takes to be differentiated. Unfortunately, this is not a local problem. It happens everywhere, from my NJ Branding Agency to international marketing conglomerates. Why? Because brands are afraid of taking bold stands. That could mean offending some customers.
They fail to realize that being bold is an asset.
Branding 101: The Importance of Bold Marketing
Take Native deodorant. Who would think it would be a good idea to send natural deodorant in crazy scents for a premium that is multiples of what you find in the grocery store? Throw in the fact that it’s only available online. It sounds like a business model doomed to failure. Except that the folks at my favorite deodorant company are bold marketers. They understand the power of a differentiated brand.
Native’s brand DNA includes:
- Natural, non-toxic ingredients
- Fun scents that are constantly updated
- A willingness to contect with consumers emotionally
Achieving that requires more than a Pumpkin Spice Latte limited-time deodorant (yes, that is currently available). Pardon my French here, but it takes balls.
Want to break through with an email? Take a look at the subject line below. It threw caution to the wind – and probably had a pretty darn high open rate. It’s a subject line my NJ Branding Agency would be proud to show a client.
“This is a Jesus Scented Magic Stick” & Other Great Reviews any NJ Branding Agency Would Be Proud Of
By taking the most breakthrough (and potentially controversial) line from one of their many reviews and elevating it to email subject line status, Native knew they were taking a risk. They were fully aware that they may end up alienating some people. However, they didn’t care. Because they understand how the marketing landscape has changed. They know that taking risks can be home runs when a brand goes all in.
I could go on and on about the power that Native’s fearlessness has imparted to its brand, but money talks louder than words – and in November 2017, the startup online better-for-you wacky deodorant brand was bought by Procter and Gamble. For $100 million. After only 2.5 years.
That definitely doesn’t stink. Neither does Native’s brand. And neither do people who wear it…
