Branding – A brand is a GUT FEELING

but…the big question is… how do you make that connection between your branding & your customer?

The answer is simple; just be yourself, be human & understand your ideal client

In the UK we know this is the ‘Red Tractor’ brand mark/logo.

It represents British grown & total visibility from field to fork.  Because we know exactly what this means & what it represents we immediately feel reassured when we see it.  Our brand needs to emulate that!

You need to know your ideal customer intimately & in great detail

…many people call this ideal person an Avatar.

Your Avatar is the person who you are aiming your brand message at so you need to understand their internal dialogue.  This is a powerful connection.

Wiktionary states an avatar is:

1. The incarnation of a deity in Hinduism
2. The physical embodiment of an idea or concept; a personification
3. A digital representation or handle of a person or being

The internal dialogue of your Avatar is the voice in their head, so by understanding what that is, you will be able to connect your passion to them & make a sale.

Business is all about making a sale.  Without a sale there is no money & no business!

We all buy because of pain or pleasure… can you solve a problem with your product?

& people buy YOU before they buy a product.

Have a look here & go through each of the logos & business names; can you immediately tell who their ideal customer is?  What do they sell?  What is their passion?

Think about how your Avatar feels everyday when they look in the mirror.   Imagine his pains, his pleasures, his passions, his hates,  how he feels about his body,  about his relationships, what makes him cry, what makes him laugh,  his weaknesses…

If you know all that you will be able to make your passion [the WHY you started your brand] talk to his internal dialogue every day.   Your customer gets a gut feeling that your brand is there to help and support him; he then trusts you & your brand by becoming a loyal purchaser & supporter.

Target their gut feeling, their internal dialogue

So… a brand is much more that just a logo & a product; it is a gut feeling creating a connection between you & them.

All your messages, your social posts, social banners, website, adverts & shop front listings have to be congruent – don’t be halfhearted about it!

The formula is:

YOUR PASSION + THEIR INTERNAL DIALOGUE = SUCCESS

You can connect with your ideal customer or Avatar by asking questions

– What is their pain?
– What excites them?
– What sex are they?
– How old are they?
– Who are their heroes?
– What do they read?
– What do they watch?
– What makes them cry?
– What makes them laugh?
– What brands do they buy?
– What do they earn?
– Do they have kids?
– Are they married?
– Are they single?
– What music do they listen to?

It may seem an odd task but if you answer all these questions you will have a complete picture of who you are targeting & make an emotional connection with your audience.

Align your passion with their needs & success follows

Have you done this exercise?  How big a difference did it make?