In a world increasingly saturated with marketing, quality creative thinking and execution in what you put out into the market is crucial for your brand to stand out and be remembered. However, there are numerous other tools at your brand’s disposal, and it is often the marketers who leverage a wide range of these tools in a single-minded way that achieve the much-coveted “cut-through.” In this article, we’ll take a look at what those tools are and how they can help your marketing really deliver.

First stop: the importance of brand values and strategy

Consider a brand with clever, thoughtful, or fun marketing. When this marketing aligns with the brand’s values and resonates with their audience, it becomes highly effective. People naturally gravitate towards brands they genuinely like and trust, similar to how we respect and listen to people who are known for their integrity and respectfulness. When a brand’s values align with those of its audience, its marketing efforts not only resonate but also build stronger connections and loyalty.

So, it’s no surprise to look around and see how many brands are communicating their values upfront these days. But there’s much more to building solid brand foundations. To really establish an unwavering foundation for a brand, possibly one of the greatest cost-saving exercises you can do upfront, we begin to look at the brand strategy.

So, what does that entail?

When examining a brand’s strategy, we commonly look at five distinct areas: its brand pillars, values, mission, vision, and ultimately, its promise. These elements form the foundation of a strong brand strategy.

  • Brand pillars: the core principles that define the brand’s identity.
  • Brand values: the beliefs and standards that guide the brand’s actions.
  • Brand mission: the brand’s purpose and what it aims to achieve.
  • Brand vision: the long-term goals and aspirations of the brand.
  • Brand promise: the commitment made to customers, reflecting the brand’s core values and mission.

A note about brand vs. marketing strategies

A comprehensive marketing strategy integrates short-term campaigns with building long-term brand equity. As described in our “Brand & marketing strategies to superpower your business” service page, brand and marketing strategies are two sides of the same coin. We also wrote another perspective piece about this topic that you might enjoy, explaining how taking advantage of these two together can help your brand win the long game.

Now, how about a case study?

Patagonia, the famous outdoor brand, is a prime example of a brand that successfully integrates purpose into its strategy. Their mission, “To save our home planet,” is central to their brand premise. Patagonia’s grassroots environmental activism comes from the founder, and this commitment to values is evident in their actions.

Instead of relying on traditional marketing techniques, Patagonia emphasises brand storytelling and environmental causes. They now spend less than half a percent of their revenue on marketing, opting instead for bold political stances. For instance, Patagonia’s founder, Yvon Chouinard, has long advocated for environmental protection, famously suing the Trump administration over federal land protections.

Patagonia vote the assholes out

Yes, Patagonia’s viral ‘Vote The Assholes Out’ tags did actually happen.

Patagonia are speaking to their audience in ways they know will align with their values. Their core audience are nature lovers, they strive to enjoy and protect the outdoors for others to enjoy. Clearly these actions don’t say anything directly about specific product features or benefits, but it does show a strong commitment to caring about the environment — and it’s really not much of a leap to create a connection between that and the care they put into creating products that don’t destroy the planet.

Not every brand can or should lean heavily on brand purpose, but Patagonia shows the power of authenticity and staying true to core values.

The risks of disingenuous marketing

It’s worth mentioning at this point that brands should avoid “bandwagoning” on popular causes without genuine commitment. Authenticity is crucial to consumers, and trust can be easily lost. Brands that attempt to capitalise on trends without genuine alignment with their values often face backlash and will struggle to build a loyal customer base following such occurrences.

Beyond the brand: marketing levers to help your brand stand out

  1. Creative:
    Clever creativity that delivers is vital. It must be founded on human truth but can take many forms, from witty and full of heart to aspirational and luxurious. Emotion is key if you want to connect with your consumers.
  2. Targeting:
    Marketing messages must be made relevant for each audience. Understanding your customers is essential. Spray-and-pray marketing is ineffective; instead, brand foundations should help to identify and target the correct audiences for more targeted marketing.
  3. Channel selection:
    Careful selection and integrated use of channels are crucial for amplifying messages. Spending money in areas where the target audience isn’t present is wasteful.
  4. Timing:
    Consider how and when your audience receives your message. Creating a rich experience through a sequence of communications across channels that engage and provide value can enhance the impact.

But wait, there’s more…

If you’re using authentic, clever marketing to rise above the noise and this is attracting your ideal customers effectively, it’s important to make sure that the experience goes beyond the frontline messaging. Let’s take a look at two additional areas that are commonly overlooked that can help your brand shine.

1. Customer experience (CX)

A significant shift in recent years has been the emphasis on customer experience (CX). Once marketing delivers a person to the point of transaction, either in-person or online, it’s crucial to deliver on the values that brought them there. Failure to deliver here can result in all previous efforts being wasted. This is the point of conversion so it must be treated with the respect it deserves.

2. Sales and marketing alignment (smarketing)

For brands operating outside of the fast-paced retail space, the sales process can be slower and require more care. Aligning sales and marketing efforts, known as “smarketing,” can increase the likelihood of success. Learn more about this in our article “Smarketing: How to make sales and marketing alignment work for you”.

Brands today have a range of levers to use, and knowing how to use them effectively is essential. Customer research is easier than ever, and numerous agencies can help navigate this complex landscape. If you’re looking for a trusted partner who understands how to integrate these elements and help your brand shine across channels, contact The Walk – Integrated Marketing Agency Melbourne today. Let’s discuss your challenges and find ways to achieve the growth your business is after.

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