Editor’s note: Aaron McClung is the founder and principal of AM, a branding, marketing and technology firm in the Dallas/Fort Worth area.
Prospective clients often want to begin marketing conversations with what channels and tactics we suggest for them. They might mention past failures and fatigue with previous efforts using channels like Google ads, Facebook ads, e-mail and on and on. I get it. I’ve felt the pain. However, there’s a problem with thinking a certain tactic is not right for your company simply because it didn’t work in the past.
Effective marketing requires putting the right message in front of the right person at the right time. It’s more than just having access to audiences or trying to find the latest and greatest channel strategies. You must have something meaningful to say when you do get in front of the right audience. Focusing solely on finding the best marketing tactics is a waste of time if no one cares about what you have to say. That’s just a bunch of noise. It’s not a good investment of your marketing dollars.
When you correctly identify the true, authentic why that your company is built on, meaning is uncovered. When we craft focused messaging on that powerful, meaningful foundation, people will bond with it. A tribe will rise up that aligns with that message and wants to stand with you as you demonstrate it to the world.
That’s how you create meaningful connections. That’s how you create loyalty and trust in your brand. By developing that type of conversation between you and your audience, you can assure them they are making buying and buy-in decisions on the most important things. That’s how you avoid transactional relationships with your customers and employees.
If your brand and messaging do not lead the conversation with your purpose or cause, you haven’t really invited anyone to help you achieve it. Marketers need to understand that every dollar your audience spends is a vote for the change they want in the world. If they can’t tell what you stand for by the way you talk about yourself, how can you expect them to support you?
No business owner is going to say they don’t want to create meaningful connections with their customers. It just makes sense. The more “bought-in” your customers are, the more profitable your business will be. So, why do so many businesses struggle to make those connections? It’s because they’re having the wrong conversation with their customers.
Everyone is looking for meaningful connections. But, if you’re like some business owners, you may be skeptical of how all this “fluffy talk” can actually make an impact in your business.
Here’s the truth: The most successful businesses are those driven by purpose, not profits. It’s the great paradox of business – in order to make money, you need to not focus on money.
Most companies lead their marketing, sales and hiring conversations with what their company does. It may seem logical, but it actually creates relationships that are tactical and transactional, instead of loyal and meaningful. Imagine if your favorite movie was just a series of logistical anecdotes. It wouldn’t be meaningful or entertaining. You need to connect on a human level.
By connecting through a deeper meaning, you’re going to create a better relationship with customers. When you start conversations with why you do what you do and then explain how you do it, you begin to make meaningful connections to your brand. You’re having conversations that connect with people.
Dove is one of the most well-known examples of this transition. In 2004, Dove realized many women in its target audience struggled with appreciating their own natural beauty. Hollywood’s version of “beautiful” was unrealistic, and the gap was causing many women to have self-image issues.
Dove saw this growing problem as something the company needed to change. It saw a purpose for its business, so it began having new conversations. The company became an advocate for women and girls of all ages. Without promoting a product, Dove simply placed its logo at the end of commercials that focused on the inherent beauty in all women.
We subconsciously connect the emotion we felt through watching the ad to the Dove brand. The emotion takes us to the place in our brains where meaningful connections and buy-in decisions are processed. It’s inspiring and makes you want to align with their brand.
Dove started talking about making life better for women, instead of the benefits of soap. People who wouldn’t normally be talking about a soap brand started talking about Dove. Influential people from across the globe enthusiastically joined the conversation. It doesn’t even feel like advertising, because honestly, it’s not. It’s an authentic conversation about why Dove exists.
When Dove adopted its new purpose-led model in 2004, its annual revenue was $2.5 billion. After changing the conversation, its sales increased to $4 billion annually. The company has focused on this purpose story and it continues to make an impact in revenue with over 117 million Americans using Dove in 2018 (that’s twice as many as the closest competitor).
Reflect your purpose
It’s one thing to talk about Dove, a massive brand, but how does it apply to your company? Well, all of the principles remain the same. You can update your existing brand assets and communication channels to reflect your purpose. You can create an online presence that aligns your messaging to your ‘why’ so future employees and customers can see what you care about. You’ll be amazed at how people are naturally drawn to this approach.
Making this type of change in the conversation takes clarity, authenticity and consistency. It goes beyond your branding and marketing. You must lead with your purpose conversation in every area of your business.