Everything has flipped
The questions I struggle with daily
With regard to creating a product and brand that sucedes
What we know about how things traditionaly worked,
Branding: “Brand” value and success was largely based upon securing ample capital to advertise in a very broad manner to the largest amount of humans.
Advertising: Creating a compelling advertising campaign. Often with the sole objective of driving revenue. The big advertising firms experiencing enormous success for many decades driving manipulations at consumers. The manipulations are at first a Story, however a story the eventually fails due to lack of integrity and connection.
Sales: The sales arm is where I have made a nice career for myself. I however have always identified myself as a “Outsider”. Why? Because I always cared more about the Integrity and vision than the sales planning.
A company seeking to develop itself as a brand traditionally sought PODs (points of distribution) i.e. shelf placements.
The belief that once product was on enough shelves and in many distribution catalogs , “everything” would all take care of itself when coupled with a broad brush mentality to marketing and driving market demand.
This reality was what I used to create my place in sales. I embraced the fact that many of my competitors did not care, manipulated to gain the sale and developed very disconnected communication with the end user.
Where my mind has been “stuck in the muck” is the current landscape, my ideal role, my reality.
For me it has absolutely to be about more.
More as in:
-Integrity
-Innovation
-Engagement
-Specifics
-Risk
What does this mean? It means that looking at this from a different vantage point it truly is clear for me.
KIS (Keep It Simple) really is the best advice
The MASS is dead
So embrace the FRINGE, SMALL
thats a catchy phrase however what isn’t wanted is pretending
Pretending to be the answer to that niche when in reality its a staged manipulation
see as we spread the word and the Fringe, Small experience more and more success
the inevitable happens,
The MASS creates a illusion, una bella imagine!
however its NOT REAL…and we know it
WE- the ones its supposed to be made for
you know, not everyone but US
They just seem to always forget that we look deeper
we expect more
we want quirky “extras” that a the mass doesn’t
This is now the portion in which I get to my point
I attempt to pull all of my ramblings together and make some semblence of sense,
So Today, based on all I have learned, believe and experienced I have my advice for self
- Identify something WE need. Not everyone but US and those just like us. This means not doing something thats already been done UNLESS we are certain we have a iteration that is wanted and needed.
- Ask Whats the smallest/ simplest way to start this? Most great ideas never START.
- WHY are we doing this? Establishing your WHY allows you to truly determine the value you are looking to deliver.
- Creation of realistic Goals- we undermine our own potential often. Build a plan , be broad in the description. a example might be ” 1 year goal of ending last quarter at a minimum of $100k sales/month
- define the methods to attaining “Goals”, Once we lay out WHAT the broad goal is we can then structure the methods and a plan of action. This is where we determine potential customers, and vehicles to driving sales. In the above mentioned goal of attaining $100k/month sales minimum we can then determine that a plan revolving around a strong direct to consumer (DTC) model coupled with Amazon and several key high profile online accounts is best.
- 6. Create a real communication/ engagement plan- I like to say ” In the first year every shipment, every unit sold should have a fingerprint and a connection , a real and unforced connection between company and consumer. If you cannot be absolutely certain that you have that then you have gone to fast and may need to reavaluate.
This misconception that a store, Chain, website or distribution partner “builds brands” is Lazy and detatched from reality
They SELL product
YOU still must ENGAGE
otherwise , Not so much,
What does this all mean? To me it means a flip,
my role is NOT sales
my role is STORYTELLING
with 100% Integrity
with 100% Truth
Its a mission of Caring
Its Marketing 2016 and beyond
Its Generosity
Its Niche
its what needs to be done
stop Spamming potential customers
stop thinking a billion placements = TRUST and SALES
they DO NOT
what earns trust is caring and speaking, engaging with someone
with doing that little bit extra because you want to
not because you have to
The answers are in you
The answers you seek
The answers we need
Good Luck!
