In this episode of Connecting The Dots we discuss how to leverage a method to help grow your business and brand.
How do you give your business the best chance at growing year after year for a long time to come?
Most businesses work hard day in day out to get leads, customers and slowly grow their business. They spend time, money and a lot of effort on marketing and sales that usually just maintain their current trajectory. When they look back on what they’ve achieved they can’t help but think that it has been a hard fought uphill battle each and every day.
Does it have to be that way?
Brand and Marketing Consulting.
Learn more at adambarbaro.com
Instagram: @adamebarbaro
LinkedIn: Adam Barbaro
In this episode of Connecting The Dots we discuss why what you do is not as important to building loyalty with customers as why you do it.
Does your brand have a good reason to exist?
Have you considered how you will connect with consumers on a deeper level compared to your competitors. Powerful brands master the art of building value and loyalty with their customers by communicating not what it does but why it does it.
Brand and Marketing Consulting.
Learn more at adambarbaro.com
Instagram: @adamebarbaro
LinkedIn: Adam Barbaro
In this episode of Connecting The Dots we discuss the how to validate your business ideas, as well as products and services before spending time, money and effort on them.
How do we test ideas and validate our thinking in order to ensure that our products and services will stand out from what the competition offers?
I want to show you 4 fundamental questions that can help validate not just your brand, but new products and services as well.
Brand and Marketing Consulting.
Learn more at adambarbaro.com
Instagram: @adamebarbaro
LinkedIn: Adam Barbaro
In this episode of Connecting The Dots we discuss the how to stop comparisons with competitors.
How do we avoid customers drawing our products and services into comparisons that result in us having to fight on price?
How do we instead attract customers that see the value in our products and services and are prepared to pay what you ask?
Brands that prioritise the why and the how are crushing those that only think about the what.
Brand and Marketing Consulting.
Learn more at adambarbaro.com
Instagram: @adamebarbaro
LinkedIn: Adam Barbaro
In this episode of Connecting The Dots we discuss the 4 steps process to marketing effectively
Launching a new business, and product or service, can be very exciting. Ensuring we follow the correct marketing process will ensure we make good strategic decisions and not get caught up in tactical deliverable that fail to set our marketing systems up for success.
Brands that prioritise the why and the how are crushing those that only think about the what.
Brand and Marketing Consulting.
Learn more at adambarbaro.com
Instagram: @adamebarbaro
LinkedIn: Adam Barbaro
In this episode of Connecting The Dots we discuss three steps to attracting value-driven customers by increasing the connection your brand has with customers.
A business that implements courageous positioning with purpose and methods for innovative delivery can transform themselves into a brand. A brand that is supported by value-driven customers that identify with them and advocate their offerings to others. It transforms and positions them away from the plethora of commodity type businesses that are destined to attract price-driven customers.
Brands that prioritise the why and the how are crushing those that only think about the what.
Brand and Marketing Consulting.
Learn more at adambarbaro.com
Instagram: @adamebarbaro
LinkedIn: Adam Barbaro
In this episode of Connecting The Dots we discuss to position your business so you can charge what you want for your products and services.
The profit we receive in many ways is based on the value discrepancy between what you are offering and what someone is willing to pay. What does this mean? Well it means that the value discrepancy is the determining factor in how much you can charge. The good news is that value is fluid because it is based on an individual's perception and is not fixed.
Therefore it is logical to conclude that the profit we make can be increased by adjusting how customers perceive the value associated with our products or services. So how do we do this?
Brand and Marketing Consulting.
Learn more at adambarbaro.com
Instagram: @adamebarbaro
LinkedIn: Adam Barbaro
In this episode of Connecting The Dots we discuss how CrossFit built a company through successful implementation of Branding and Positioning principles. Recently decision no longer align with these principles and could lead to the decline of the CrossFit brand.
CrossFit built loyalty through authenticity. What they said they did and what they actually did were aligned. Several recent decisions from CrossFit seem to show that this authenticity no longer seems to exist. Decisions are being made for short term financial gain, such decisions have a history of destroying long term success.
Here is how to market your business in a way that is right for you and your customer.
Brand and Marketing Consulting.
Learn more at adambarbaro.com
Instagram: @adamebarbaro
LinkedIn: Adam Barbaro
In this episode of Connecting The Dots we discuss the importance of a strong market in the success of your business and 4 criteria you can use to find a niche.
If being in a bad market is like trying to push a boulder up a hill, then being in a good market is the equivalent of already being at the top of the hill and watching the boulder roll all by itself.
Here is how to market your business in a way that is right for you and your customer.
Brand and Marketing Consulting.
Learn more at adambarbaro.com
Instagram: @adamebarbaro
LinkedIn: Adam Barbaro
In this episode of Connecting The Dots we discuss how you must subtract from what you offer so that you can increase revenue and profit.
Steve Jobs even came out and said "We're gambling on our vision, and we'd rather do that than make 'me-too' products."
Apple stopped trying to be ‘better’ than competitors, whatever that means, and started focusing their efforts on increasing the impact by changing how specific targeted consumers saw them in the market. The changes to their positioning and by building products that were in alignment with their brand started the resurrection from the edge of bankruptcy to the Apple we know today.
Here is how to market your business in a way that is right for you and your customer.
Brand and Marketing Consulting.
Learn more at adambarbaro.com
Instagram: @adamebarbaro
LinkedIn: Adam Barbaro
In this episode of Connecting The Dots we discuss how short-term decision making hurts your marketing and stops you from growing.
When I say Cadillac, what do you think of? A Bicycle or a Car?
When I say IBM, what do you think of? A computer or an office copier?
When I say Lamborghini, what do you think of? A sports car or a 4WD?
All of these companies, and thousands more, have fallen for a cardinal sin of branding and marketing. The fallacy of line extension. All of them have spent millions of dollars on products that did not align with their brand positioning and have not only failed with new products but as a consequence have also lost large amounts of market share. Let me explain...
Here is how to market your business in a way that is right for you and your customer.
Brand and Marketing Consulting.
Learn more at adambarbaro.com
Instagram: @adamebarbaro
LinkedIn: Adam Barbaro
In this episode of Connecting The Dots we discuss the biggest and most common marketing mistake made by businesses and how to stop it.
What is the biggest and most common mistake for marketing businesses? Easy, it is prioritising short term and expensive tactics like new websites, content, and ads before understanding the bigger strategy they need to make those deliverables successful.
And it makes sense. You see a competitor come out with a cool new flashy video campaign and have their ads appear on your social media and you think ‘Look what they’re doing! This must be giving them tons of new business. We want to do the same.”
Here is how to market your business in a way that is right for you and your customer.
Brand and Marketing Consulting.
Learn more at adambarbaro.com
Instagram: @adamebarbaro
LinkedIn: Adam Barbaro
In this episode of Connecting The Dots we discuss the using the Market Map model to find gaps in competitors positioning and using that to your advantage.
According to Nobel Prize winning psychologist Daniel Kahneman most people rely on intuitive thinking in order to make decisions. Unfortunately while this feels like the right thing to do, often leads to bad decisions that are not based on the information available and logic.
Companies, including the C-Suite, are no different. They too often rely on ‘gut feelings’ in order to make strategic decisions. The effect on companies can often be in the millions or tens of millions of dollars. When this approach is applied to market positioning it can lead to the inevitable demise of the company.
Given the importance, what are some methods we can use to ensure we are making strategic decisions correctly?
Brand and Marketing Consulting.
Learn more at adambarbaro.com
Instagram: @adamebarbaro
LinkedIn: Adam Barbaro
In this episode of Connecting The Dots we discuss the formula for creating a successful brand that stands out and wins a large share of the market.
If your company has direct competitors that are eating away at your market share then this is a solution for you.
In the mind of the customer, there aren’t competitors, there are just options. The human mind deals with options, in a lazy but effective way, by blocking out and discarding difficult to consume information. The mind looks for reasons why to pick one product over another, often looking for familiarity in a brand. This is why Brands are important in today's market. They allow you to build recognition in the minds of the customers, but how do we ensure our brand stands out amongst the rest?
We are now, possibly for the first time in history, in a period where due to the plethora of options available for consumers; now more heavily reliant on effective branding. It is no longer about pushing out generic products onto the market, it is about pulling people in to choose and be a part of your brand.
The question is now how do we create a brand that pulls consumers to us. Allowing us to avoid trying to sell them on buying our products. We achieve this through a simple formula...listen to hear all about it!
Brand and Marketing Consulting.
Learn more at adambarbaro.com
Instagram: @adamebarbaro
LinkedIn: Adam Barbaro
In this episode of Connecting The Dots we discuss the importance of a brand identity in making associations in the mind of the customers. We go into the 4 components that make up a brand identity.
Branding, a term that is thrown around a lot today, with a lot of different meanings. It traditionally referred to a company's visual identity in the form of a logo. However, like most things in the marketing realm the term ‘brand’ has organically developed to encompass and represent so much more meaning and thinking. A logo today represents just one component of a brand's visual identity.
The ‘Brand Identity’ has a whole representing a brand and its positioning in a visual way to the consumer. This visual representation of a brand has 4 separate components that are aligned to present the deeper strategy of the brand to the consumer in a clear and appealing way. Let me explain…
Brand and Marketing Consulting.
Learn more at adambarbaro.com
Instagram: @adamebarbaro
LinkedIn: Adam Barbaro
In this episode of Connecting The Dots we walk through the importance of understanding competitive landscape and how doing so provides you with the ability to find gaps in the market and become a leader.
It is through understanding the competitive landscape that we find whitespace and develop clarity in how to best serve consumers and what products bring them the most value. This not only brings with it financial benefits but also assists us in gaining more experience in a specific area. The more experience we have the more expertise we develop, making the company less able to control your niche/submarket.
Less competition, more work, and the ability to charge more? Why haven't you started to understand your competitors better?
Brand and Marketing Consulting.
Learn more at adambarbaro.com
Instagram: @adamebarbaro
LinkedIn: Adam Barbaro
In this episode of Connecting The Dots we walk through the importance of understanding your customer and the 4 components to creating a customer persona.
The evolution of marketing shows us that the successful brands today are ones that understand the importance of a customer focused approach. The advantages of focusing on the unserved customer rather than the product are too numerous to quickly mention now. However, I do want to talk about the need to understand your customer deeply, in order to be able to truly provide value and be positioned to build a tribe of fans around your brand.
The 4 components that make up a good customer persona are the demographics, the psychographics, the geographics and the customers behaviour.
Brand and Marketing Consulting.
Learn more at adambarbaro.com
Instagram: @adamebarbaro
LinkedIn: Adam Barbaro
In this episode of Connecting The Dots we walk through how the emphasis of branding, marketing and advertising has changed over the last 100 years, and how we can take advantage of this change to create a awesome strategy for 2022 and beyond.
There are thousands of new products and services entering the market every year. Modern technology has changed the way we market and has provided new products and services with endless opportunities for advertising. These new opportunities for advertising are no longer restricted to our tv, radios, and billboards. Ads have now infiltrated all aspects of our lives, resulting in a constant barrage of advertising in everything from the games we play, the music we listen to, the movies we watch and even when communicating with friends and family.
As the number of advertising opportunities has increased, the cost of advertising has decreased in many areas. A decrease in the costs has brought an increase in the number of competing companies. The need to be effective at branding, marketing and advertising to match the competitive environment of the modern day market has never been more apparent. For our products and services to succeed we must utilise strong marketing principles and understand how the marketing environment has, and in what direction it will continue, to change.
Over the last hundred years we have seen an increase in branding, marketing and advertising complexity. Growing competition creates an environment that rewards a company that specialises and differentiates itself. Brands that find whitespace are able to be first in the mind of the customer and set themselves up for success early before the competition arrives.
This is reflected in how companies have been marketing themselves, and how the emphasis continues to adapt from a product focused analytical approach to a customer focused empathetic approach. How we position ourselves externally has evolved from “what it has”, to “what it does”, to “what you’ll feel”, to “who you are”. [Marty Neumeier - The Brand Gap]
Brand and Marketing Consulting.
Learn more at adambarbaro.com
Instagram: @adamebarbaro
LinkedIn: Adam Barbaro
In this episode of Connecting The Dots we walk through the key elements of implementing some Branding and Marketing fundamentals of creating a Brand Personality.
Personalities have significant influence over who we attract and who we repel. A personality plays a big role in the type of work we do, the type of activities we enjoy and importantly the type of businesses and brands we associate ourselves with. A personality is also a measure that others use to decide if we are the type of person that should be a part of their tribe.
We create a brand personality by starting to think of traits of our brand as if it were a person. For example, if we were to think of traits that would describe Apple we could use words like Different, Imaginative, and Creative. Red Bull’s traits could be described as Rebellious, Dangerous, Adventurous and Brave.
These traits exemplify these brands and their approaches to marketing and are always foundational in any marketing deliverables. Almost like they have thought deeply about these beforehand and allowed the brand personality to flow from their brand through marketing and into how they present and position themselves in the market.
Once we have come up with a comprehensive, but focused, list of traits we are ready to use these to better understand our personality archetype. Personality archetypes are universally repeated and recognisable personalities that we are hardwired to connect with. Peter Walshe further speaks about how all good brands have personality archetypes. There are 12 archetypes that are commonly used; these are the Innocent, Everyman, Hero, Outlaw, Explorer, Creator, Ruler, Magician, Lover, Caregiver, Jester, and Sage.
Now that we have worked out our personality archetype what do we do with it? We do something that most businesses fail to do, implement and execute consistently. We use our archetypes as filters for our decision making.
For our visual branding we use archetype to inform what colours we choose, what our logo should look like, our fonts etc… For our marketing strategy we use our brand archetypes to inform our messaging, our offers and more. When creating marketing objectives we use our archetypes to inform how we design the User Experience, how we create funnels, and how we go about achieving our marketing goals. Finally for our deliverables our brand personality archetype must be reflected in the content we create and at every touch point we have with a customer.
Brand and Marketing Consulting.
Learn more at adambarbaro.com
Instagram: @adamebarbaro
LinkedIn: Adam Barbaro
We are in an era of consumers making decisions based on identifying themselves as a apart of a tribe. You want your customers to join your tribe?
The first step in achieving this is to ensure you portray your brand with authenticity and consistency.
We create a brand personality and persona is order to achieve this.
In this episode of Connecting The Dots we walk through the key elements of implementing some Branding and Marketing fundamentals of creating a Brand Personality.
Brand and Marketing Consulting.
Learn more at adambarbaro.com
Instagram: @adamebarbaro
LinkedIn: Adam Barbaro