The One Where You Stand Out from the Competition
Once all information has been gathered, it is time for your (hopefully) future customer to make a decision. You may think there is nothing you can do during this evaluation process to promote your business, but that is not true at all.
As we’ve pointed out earlier in this series, human decision-making is not always what we imagine it to be. The conscious reasons someone might give for choosing, say, Coke over Pepsi, are in fact secondary to a slew of subconscious processes. These might include old associations, longstanding habits, hidden biases and so on. They also include brand awareness and resonance.
Brand Awareness
When we say, “facial tissue,” you say, “Kleenex.” When we say, “bleach,” you might think, “Clorox.”
Being the first brand a customer mentally associates with a given product or category is a huge boost in your favor when those subconscious processes kick in. In the industry, we call this “top of mind awareness,” and it gives you a significant advantage over the competition.
In order to cultivate this awareness, it’s important that your business is associated with your customer’s needs – long before those needs become an issue.
When pipes break and transmissions go out and anniversaries sneak up last-minute, no one is thinking very clearly. Most people are going to do the first thing that pops into their head – and you want that thing to be calling on your business.
Finding a Resonant Frequency
Resonance is the perception of your brand and how you stand in the broader setting of a consumer’s world.
Today’s purchasers are concerned that their purchases contribute to making the world a better place. Many modern consumers are willing to drive farther, wait longer and pay more to support a company they perceive as standing for the values they believe in.
If your customers tend to have a clear profile, you have a great opportunity to rack up points during this evaluation process. Be where your customers are. Support the causes they support. Talk about the issues they face. Emphasize your own company values, and practice what you preach.
Radio is part of the fabric of everyday life for most consumers. It’s playing in the car, in the store, in the workplace. When you combine this with a solid frequency, you can make a place for yourself in a future customer’s world before they need your product or services.
This is part 4 in our Deeper Marketing series.