the ditto method to building a brand that sells
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At the heart of every successful business lies a powerful brand. Your brand is the product you deliver, the promise you make and your customers’ perception of your business versus your competitors.TRANSCRIPT
how to infl uence customers to buy from you }}
The DittoMethodTo Building ABrand That Sells
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YOUR BRAND: THE PROMISE, THE PERSONALITY, THE PRODUCT,THE PERCEPTION.
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At the heart of every successful business lies a powerful brand. Your brand is the product you deliver, the promise you make and your customers’ perception of your business versus your competitors.
Some people think that a brand refers to a
logo, typeface or set of colours. And they’re
not wrong; all of these elements form part
of the visual identity of your brand. However,
savvy business owners know that a powerful
brand is about more than an attractive logo.
Effective branding elevates a business from
being just one among a sea of identical
commodities to one with unique character
and promise. Branding is simply the route
by which you build familiarity, trust and
recognition with your target market,
compelling prospects to buy from you.
If there’s one single element to your business
which will have the biggest impact on how
customers perceive you (and, in turn, how
much they’re willing to pay), it’s your brand.
Your mission is to uncover the magic
elements within your business that really
matters to your clients, and communicate
them clearly and consistently. In this book,
I’ll show you how to identify your niche in
the market, understand your customers’
point of pain and map out each touch point
they experience during the buying cycle to
ensure your brand wows at every turn.
So, pop the kettle on and grab a couple of
biscuits (go on, you deserve it) and we’ll get
started, shall we?
introductionYOUR BRAND: THE PROMISE, THE PERSONALITY, THE PRODUCT,THE PERCEPTION.
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B E L I E V E
YOU CAN
YOU WILL
A N D
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step 1.
Step 1Know your strategyAt the branding workshops we run, it’s always revisiting brand strategy which yields the
most light bulb moments from our guests. The truth is that most business owners are so
busy running businesses that they simply don’t have the time to review the basics.
What is it that your business offers – what solutions do you provide?
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Who are your customers?
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What is their point of pain?
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
What problem of theirs are you solving?
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Think about what you want your business to be known for. And think about where you
want your business to be this time next year, in two years time and in five years time.
What’s your plan? What are your goals and aspirations?
Branding secret no.1Building a powerful brand is the key to making your business more desirable, more valued and more challenging to your competitors
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Don’t be like the rest
of them
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step 2.
Step 2Know your nicheAt Ditto, we always encourage clients to think about what it is that makes their business
unique and special. Don’t ever be the same as everyone else. Pick one thing about your
business and make it incredible. Make it stand out. And don’t stop until you do.
What motivates your clients to buy from you?
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
What do your most profitable clients have in common?
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
What do you do differently to your competitors? What messages do they send out?
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Why are you so much more brilliant than your competitors – what’s the magic component
to your business that your clients really care about?
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
What do clients really love about your business – where do they see real value? If you’re unsure, don’t be afraid to ask some of your friendly clients – don’t make the mistake of assuming you know the answers. Your clients may hold some valuable truths which you risk missing.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
From this, you should be able to distil a list of characteristics which summarise your
business. Compare this to your competitors – are the areas your business is valued for
sufficiently different?
Don’t be like the rest
of them
Branding secret no.2A powerful brand will in�uence your prospects, altering their perception of you and compelling them to buy
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hardtomake
decisionsknow
values are.
whenyou
what your
It’s not
Roy E. Disney
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Step 3Your ValuesYour core values are what resonate the most with your clients, and are the key differentiator
between your business and your competitors.
Take The Body Shop as an example. Their core values centre around ethical trading, using
natural ingredients and being against testing on animals. Customers who share similar
values will buy into this, and choose The Body Shop over other companies who offer a
similar product but whose values differ.
What values drive your business? Perhaps your culture is driven by product development, innovation and cutting edge technology. Maybe it’s driven by a desire to help others and support local community.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Think about your business as a person. How would they speak, behave and dress? Would
they be chatty and fun, or authoritative and reassuring?
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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step 3.
Branding secret no.3Buyers emote about brands that they love. Build emotional resonance with a robustly tested market and your brand will grow.
hardtomake
decisionsknow
values are.
whenyou
what your
It’s not
Roy E. Disney
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SET THE
ON FIREWorld
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step 4.
Step 4Moments of TruthMoments of truth relate to interaction your customers have with your brand. This covers
everything from face to face meetings, phone calls, and proposals, to the way in which you
deliver your product or service. Uncover each moment of truth, and work out how you can
turn it into an opportunity to make your brand sing. Always leave a lasting impression.
You may say that you deliver a high end, professional service, but does the experience you
deliver back this up? Sending out conflicting messages will undermine your brand and is the
quickest way to waste your marketing budget. All the professionally produced websites and
glossy brochures in the world can’t save you if your basic touch points (the way your team
answer the phone, the way your office feels when clients visit, the quality of your aftercare)
haven’t been carefully thought out.
Start by plotting out your customers’ typical journey as they convert from prospect
to paying customer, and map the touch points they experience during the buying cycle. This
could include a meeting at a networking event, visiting your website, phoning your office,
being sent a proposal and a post-sale call or email to follow up on their experience. Are all
of these touch points as good as they can be? Do they show your clients that you genuinely
care? Do they reflect your brand accurately and show you in the best possible light? What
needs to be changed?
Branding secret no.4Your brand is no more than what your customers perceive you to be, based on the sum total of all of their experience and interactions with you. Make the most of every opportunity to make your brand shine.
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always
promise
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step 5.
Step 5Making sure you deliverSo, you’ve won your customer. Now what? It’s absolutely imperative to deliver upon
your promise. Only ever promise what you know you can deliver, and if you can deliver
more than promised then so much the better.
‘Under promise and over deliver’ may sound like a worn out cliché, but it really does ring
true when it comes to impressing customers. Anyone who has been stung by a sales person
who promised the world, but let them down on the product will tell you that this is the
quickest way to make your customers lose faith in your brand.
No exceptions to the rule – this has to be right every time. And if something does go
wrong, be sure to put it right. You don’t need me to tell you how quickly reputations can
be broken, and this is especially true when working in a niche market. Don’t. Mess. Up.
Branding secret no.5Anyone can promise to deliver something. Not everyone actually can. Only ever make realistic promises, or you’ll risk damaging your reputation and driving clients away.
always
promise
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Pablo Picasso
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step 6.
Step 6Audit your existing brand and review your designList all of your current marketing activities, and dig out any printed collateral too. Do all
of your activities support your brand and speak to your target market? It’s easy to
get stuck in a rut of ‘routine’ advertising – the type that you sign up to every year without
thinking about whether it’s yielding a return. Don’t fall into the trap of attending the same
events and sending out the same mailers and considering the advertising box to be ticked
off – the reality is that unless your marketing is engaging the right people, it’s a
total waste of time and money.
Give your visual brand an honest appraisal too. Does it support your brand message? Your
visual identity needs to be striking to attract attention, and must also reflect your business in
the right light. I recommend getting a professional involved here to give you some feedback
on where there’s room for improvement.
TIP:Think about positioning yourself as a thought leader. Being viewed as an expert will allow you
to have greater influence on your target market, and make prospects more likely to trust you
and buy from you. It’s a powerful route to gaining a loyal following – and there are loads of
low cost activities you can get involved in to set yourself up as an expert, for example writing
a blog, writing for online forums, running workshops or speaking at conferences.
Branding secret no.6Think big! Push outside of your comfort zone and give your brand room to grow.
Pablo Picasso
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step 7.
Step 7Budget and planThe simple fact is that investing in the right kind of marketing will help your business grow.
As a general rule, you’ll need to increase your marketing budget if you wish to attract
higher sales. Work with your accountant to agree a realistic budget, and commit to
investing it. At Ditto, we set aside a monthly budget to put towards all of our marketing
and I recommend you do the same. Don’t be shy about revealing your budget to your
design agency; in almost every instance, expectations exceed budget. We always work with
our clients to get the most from their budget – being up front about what you can afford
and what you want to achieve will get you the most from your investment.
To avoid your marketing being based entirely on knee jerk reactions (either to lower-than-
expected sales or the offer of a low cost, last minute advertising slot), plan your year out.
When are your peak seasons? When are the key events of the year that you want to
attend? Commit these activities to your diary, along with your budget for each event
or campaign, and you’ll be on track for measurable growth. You’ll also benefit from the
warm fuzzy glow of knowing that you’ve got your marketing plan sorted for the whole
year. Feels good, doesn’t it?
Branding secret no.7Building a brand isn’t really about money. If you have talent and ambition, you can build many elements of a powerful brand without an investment.
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William Bernbach
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a final word.
A final wordFind your difference, and flaunt it. Don’t be afraid of it. Make your brand stand out for
reasons that matter to your clients. Don’t make your brand look or feel like anyone else’s.
Use design to convey it and words to express it. Make your brand as unique as you are.
We love to help brands to grow. I do hope that this book has sparked inspiration to help
you build a powerful brand for your business! If you would like to learn more about how
we can help you to engage more customers and build a more profitable business, feel free
to get in touch; we’ll be happy to hear from you.
William Bernbach
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about us.
Ditto came to life in 2003, founded on the idea of providing local businesses with a design studio that cares more about their clients than about potted plants and being pretentious, like so many design studios around.
Today, we work with the owners of small to medium sized businesses who value working
with a team who skilfully combine commercial reasoning with powerful design. We attract
clients both locally and internationally who ask us to work on branding and creative design
to help their businesses grow.
At Ditto we believe very firmly in the power of building strong relationships – the sort
where everyone is able to collaborate and have some fun. We want to get to know about
you, your business and what makes you tick so we can deliver you the best possible results.
We’re not the pretentious type; it’s just not our style. If there’s ever anything you need,
or you’ve got any questions or concerns, please feel free to pick up the phone and talk to
us (don’t worry, we’re not the type to charge you every time you get in touch!). We want
you to be really happy with the work we do for you. After all, our reputation – and yours
– depends on it.
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our people.
We believe that people buy from people – so here’s a bit about us
DerekWith an impressive design career under his belt (he doesn’t like to boast, but he’s got over
30 years experience in the creative industry, working with the likes of Chanel, Royal Opera
House, Sun Alliance, American Express, Crest Homes and the Cystic Fibrosis Trust to name
a few – as well as a couple of celebrity clients!), Derek’s mantra is akin to that of a vintage
wine – quality improves with age.
HannahFinalist at the 2011 West Kent Business Excellence Awards, Hannah takes care of brand
development at Ditto. As well as writing a monthly marketing column for local press as
their resident branding expert, she runs workshops to empower our clients. Known for her
endless enthusiasm and smiling a lot.
DanDan is our resident computer geek and graphic design extraordinaire. His passion for branding,
typography and unique designs never fails to come through in his work. Our clients are
fanatical about his design work – the volume of referrals we receive speak for themselves.
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about us.
Put your brand in our hands
Would you like to work with us? We have a limited number of free consultations every
month; call us to book your complimentary session and discover how we can transform
your business into something truly special.
Call us 01732 456944
Email us [email protected]
Catch us online www.ditto.uk.com
Read our blog www.dittoblog.com
Come and visit us – you’ll be very welcome
46 London Road
Sevenoaks
Kent TN13 1AS
(Parking to the rear at Bligh’s Meadow)
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thank you.
What other people say
“Hannah is an extremely talented, customer focussed businesswoman with an easy going
nature that makes her a pleasure to work with – and somehow she always manages to
make me feel inspired about my business”
Paul Sanders, photographer
“Hannah always takes time to gain insight into who we are and what we want to achieve.
Ditto’s work is always of an extremely high standard”
Brionie Battersby, Holmes Search
“Since Rotosound started working with Ditto, we’ve really got to grips with our marketing.
I’m extremely proud of what we’ve achieved together – it’s essential in moving our business
forwards in a competitive environment”
Jason How, Rotosound
“Many people and businesses lay claim to excellent customer service but fall short when
it really comes to it. Ditto do not disappoint. An abiding wish to understand and deliver
exactly what the client wants; a genuinely friendly, open and interested approach; and the
delivery of excellent work time after time make Ditto stand out consistently in a competitive
market”
Sam Ithell, Hard Hat
This book is copyright protected.Copyright noticeUnless otherwise credited, all text, images and artworks are copyright to Ditto Creative Limited. No part of this book may be reproduced without written permission of Hannah Griffin or Ditto Creative Ltd. Please respect our rights.Thank you!