When doing research to construct a brand strategy, there are four factors to consider regarding your business:
If your selling proposition is “fast and affordable,” are there 10 other companies on the market saying the exact same thing? And if so, is there another aspect of your business to make you stand out? But if you answer those four questions and they do coalesce into the idea of “fast and affordable,” then we can begin to translate that into a brand strategy.
Let’s say you provide fast, affordable hardwood flooring services. But there are other businesses in town that claim to do the same thing. That doesn’t mean you have to stop being fast and affordable, but it would greatly benefit you to find some other aspect of your service to showcase. Through research, who you are will come through loud and clear.
It’s just a shift in focus. It doesn’t conflict with who you think you are; it just repurposes the message to better speak to your client. If you do business consistently in any one way, there’s a good chance you can make it if the communication is set properly. On the other hand, if you don’t do business consistently, no one can count on you for anything.
In other words, communication is what’s going to take you from where you’re currently at to unlimited success.
Research also helps you discover how your actual clients feel about you via a third-party. This has proven to be more effective than clients doing it themselves. It determines what potential clients actually want, where they’re looking for you, and how they want to engage.
You might think, “Hey, everyone’s on Facebook, I’ve got to be on Facebook, too.” Well, guess what? If your demographic is 17-year old girls, you’re way behind the times. They’re not on Facebook anymore. You need to find out who your potential clients are, where they’re at, what they’re doing, and not to mention how they want to hear your message.
Some people are reluctant to make changes to the way they run their business; they want to stay in their comfort zone. Minor changes might be effective, but they also might not. What you have to do is research to determine that. I’ve met with people who want to accelerate the research component. But that’s not how it works. If you were building a house, would you just pour your concrete on the sand, or would you dig and put footings in first? If you want to build something that lasts, put it on a foundation that will support you.