Decoding Brand Differentiation

Scrap the Complex Questions

The first thing you want to ask yourself when starting a marketing campaign for your small business or brand is “What problem can I solve for people?”. A lot of companies get too caught up in trying to make sure they stand out, their message gets lost along the way. For example, if you own a hair salon for women your first thought may be to spend a lot of time on a unique design and brand name. It is true that this may initially help your company draw in more site users. However, for better results in terms of lead-generation and sales (in this case, booked appointments)—you should be asking yourself how your company can differentiate the service you provide. Adding just a small twist to your brand or product can make all the difference for consumers.

Problem-Solve for Your Customers

Let’s stick with our hair salon example; what common issues do women have when searching for the right stylist?

1. No availability for last-minute salon services

2. Dissatisfaction with haircut/coloring services

3. Finding a quality stylist at an affordable price

What are some less obvious concerns a niche group of people might have about their salon experience?

1. Not having enough time to sit for a 2-3 hour coloring session

2. Avoiding the salon because of the social aspect

3. Women wanting to transition to their natural hair color

Now we’re getting somewhere. The key to successful marketing is being able to think out of the box just enough to give your brand competitive edge. Most people are focused on trying to appeal to the widest possible audience. The issue with this tactic is exactly that: most people do this. 90% of brands are indistinguishable from each other, all battling for the same goal. The challenge here lies not with how consistent you are and the quality of your marketing, but how different you are from the rest. There are simply too many competing businesses out there to break into a new market with the same exact goal as everyone else. So how do you stand out? Let’s take a look.

Become a Master of Audience Targeting

Defining a target audience is the single most important step you can take when creating a marketing plan for your small business. Start with figuring out the “who” so you can easily choose “what” exactly you have to offer. Your initial marketing foundation may be less effective if you take these steps in reverse. Developing a brand statement is an important step but it should never be first. How do you know how effective your marketing message will be before you know who you’re writing it for?

In our previous example, we listed 3 common issues women face at the salon and 3 niche issues. The latter is what we are going to focus on in this example:

1. Not having enough time to sit for a 2-3 hour coloring session

With more women working full-time than ever before, time is a luxury many can’t afford. The female group most likely to have an issue with sitting in a salon for half the day during business hours is working professionals. In addition, this group of women is more likely to have disposable income for high-priced salon services. Many, (not all) will also be interested in keeping a clean-cut professional appearance and will be more likely to book regular sessions with a salon.

Choose a name to define your target demographic. Next, list some details you think fit with that demographic. Some common examples are average age range, gender, marital status, income range, common professions, etc. Next, list the issue this target demographic is facing that you want to help them solve. Lastly, think of a few common traits this group of people may have that may make targeting them in your advertising/marketing campaign easier.

You will use these details to formulate more impactful ad creative later on. Now you have a better idea of who we are helping with our business. In addition, we now have enough information to set up custom audiences on digital platforms.

Create a Genius Value Proposition

Time to put everything to practice. A value proposition is the best way to clearly communicate what you’re offering to your target audience. Make a splash with an impactful headline between 4-7 words and supporting text that is 1-2 sentences long.

Now let’s get into the mind of our target audience of “female professionals”. Sitting in a salon for half the day isn’t ideal, but there doesn’t currently seem to be an alternative. What if we could make the experience as seamless as possible by cutting down on session time?

The initial consultation you have with your stylist can take anywhere from 10-15 minutes discussing color, cut, bad experiences, etc. Additionally, preparation of the color mixture takes an additional 10-15 minutes. If your stylist could confirm your ETA and knew exactly what color mixture to prepare before you arrive, you could save 30 minutes off your salon appointment time.

Design a Powerful Ad

If a stylist knew exactly what their client wanted the moment they walked in, it could save time and improve the end-result and overall satisfaction level of service. Customer satisfaction by definition is expectation vs. reality. As an added bonus, delivering results based on the example they provided would be a foolproof way to improve the customer experience.

Most, if not all salons currently have online booking available. Many of which have an option to upload example photos of hair styles. So, how do we stand out?

Use the problem your target audience is facing in your ad creative. It’s that simple! Providing specific examples in your advertisements will make the decision-making process easy for your customers and expedite the booking process.

Analyze Your Approach

Learning to perform detailed campaign reporting can be intimidating if you don’t have a background in data analysis. However, it is crucial to make sure you have at least one form of A/B testing active in your campaign.

A/B or “split” testing is a marketing term that means you have a variable test running in at least one aspect of your marketing mix. This could be anything from using different subject lines in email sends, multiple photos in your ads, or swapping text on your website’s call-to-action buttons. Experimenting with different approaches helps you gather data that can make you more effective in your marketing approach.

Formulate a Game Plan

Now you have the tools to get started on your marketing approach. Remember that it is important you have a clear and effective message on what products and services you can offer your defined audience. Communicating that will help drive the right people to your website and grow your business quickly.

In conclusion, don't get too caught up with the details of fancy taglines and brand names. Make sure you ask the right questions when it comes to defining who it is you want to serve and how you want to help solve the issue they're facing.