In today’s age of increased digital media consumption, it’s challenging for any brand to stand out and shake the room. Modern consumers expect to be wowed with inclusive experiences that speak to their deepest emotions and shared values. A burgeoning global economy, boosted by technological advancements, doesn’t make the task of connection any less sophisticated for modern marketers to complete.
At WritersBlok, we’re content ninjas because we’re also pop culture experts. We understand that the minute you have a read on the room, you can dominate any conversation. Our mission is to help our client partners meet the demands of the data-driven social marketplace by decoding their ideas and developing their voices. We use pop culture as a cheat code to get at the heart of what most consumers want..
For growing and established brands, pop culture is the standard. Whether you’re looking to model, maybe surpass the status quo, or disrupt as a leader of the counterculture, what’s popular is what’s important. By leaning on multiple sources of information and various platforms of exposure, the strongest brands are built, capable of creating the most solid connections.
Whatever consumers like, they demand to see. The best brands provide access. Pop culture is what fuels this mechanism. To maintain a lasting impression in the market, brand managers must utilize multimedia channels to keep track of popular conversations, events, and phenomena. The following tips are helpful for reaching consumers who are responsible for creating these moments, as they can shift brand trajectory to astronomic highs with prolonged interest and interaction.
Be A Follower of Mission-Driven Activity
Branding and marketing that sticks fills a distinct hole in the market. As they post opinions under review sections and leave glowing remarks about products and services on their social media feeds, consumers share what they would like to see in the future— in real-time. Speaking the same language as your audience ensures that you will always hear and understand them when they spell out what your brand could be providing.
You can never cater to a market you don’t understand. Although a brand may find luck with trial and error, to meaningfully increase revenue and gain crucial trust, it’s important to get on the same wavelength as key consumers. Once you find them, follow their lead.
According to The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) in 2014’s Rocket: Eight Lessons to Secure Infinite Growth, most companies’top 1 or 2 percent of customers contribute 20 to 30 percent of sales through direct purchases. The most devoted followers of any brand generally remain loyal in their transition to others. Leaning on intel from your mission’s biggest fans allows you to remove the guesswork in finding your next great offering.
Meet Your Followers At Their Favorite Places
A social media post is just as valuable as a newspaper article—your audience will eventually come across at least one of them. One of the primary marketing goals is winning customer attention and retention—wooing new customers and validating veteran’s decisions.
Winning over key consumers begins with an acknowledgement of shared characteristics and values. For example, imagine you’re the president of a new student organization on your school’s campus. If all you have is one flyer to promote your meetings to students, do you think you’d boost attendance by posting in a popular student center or the parking lot of the alumni house? Amplification of critical points of alignment is important, but it doesn’t work if your brand isn’t occupying the same spaces as its potential audience.
To meet your followers at their favorite place, you’ll need to closely track their movements and behaviors enough to spot critical patterns that connect to your brand mission. Top brands rely on several types of consumer data, ranging from sweeping surveys to AI-powered analytics engines provided by companies like Qualtrics. All brands, budding and established, do well leaning on pop culture as a benchmark for the likely places their top consumers may be.
Study The Playbooks Of Countless Greats
The most established brands write the rules of branding and marketing.. They’ve demonstrated that with time, consumers can be won and more easily retained with tried and true methods. Learning how to read the room is paramount to your success in securing lasting connections. To gain the knowledge and foresight necessary to avoid rookie mistakes in outshining competition, study the playbooks of brands that have made their homes at the top of the charts.
The National Football League is a shining example of elite-level practices in branding and marketing. As of this year, the average NFL team is worth a record $5.1 billion, up from $423 million in 2000. The secret to the brand’s multi-billion dollar success has always been creating strong emotional bonds through mega campaigns inclusive of diverse Americans.
The iconic commercials and halftime performances during the Super Bowl are just one way the NFL forges new connections with its potential and existing consumers. By partnering with top brands that support the common mission, fans at every point of their customer journey get to experience the brand through multimedia channels and at different levels of exposure. Year-over-year, the brand’s returns reflect its ability to bounce back after facing adversity and strengthen its affinity in the face of shifting tides.
Clarify Strategies With A Mirror
Top brands leave a trail of their best strategies for connecting with audiences. Aspiring brands should make it a point to locate and align with brands that mirror their core values and image. Modeling those brands that have demonstrated dexterity and unparalleled growth is an excellent tactic to follow once core consumers have been acquired through authentic storytelling and customer-centric behavior.
After gathering the pages of your branding and marketing playbook, it’ll be time to execute. Modeling the strategies of the world’s biggest brands is a surefire way to make a splash in a saturated marketplace. Bonus points if the brand you choose to mirror shares members of your target audience. With that alignment, it’s wise to mimic their actions, regardless of their scale as their proximity offers a great opportunity for amplification and a new spot in the realm of pop culture.