Some readers may recognize their media company here, to everyone else, let this be a warning:
You know you’ve lost your brand voice when…
- You create 20 different positioning statements and 5 brand concept statements
- You hire a market research firm to analyze them
- The firm then surveys your customers about which is ‘most appealing’
And, frankly, all these statements suck to begin with. They lack specifics about the product and compelling reasons to be an advertiser. The survey was a chore to read all of them. It all smells of marketing by committee (and that’s how you lose your brand voice). Snippet:
“With XXX you are forming relationships with prospects, deepening relationships with customers and entering a relationship with a firm that can help you improve the productivity of your on-line marketing efforts. There is a big difference between a customer and just another click.”
Don’t ask me what message is ‘appealing’ either. These statements need to be compelling! Ask your salespeople what work with their prospects. They could write statements a thousand times better.
MORE: Maybe this article at MarketingProfs.com would help this company: Brands Matter in B2B Markets which reviews the why and how of B2B branding. Kevin Randall’s last point is important: “Strong B2B brands are branded from the inside-out, top-down, and bottom-up.” The statements in the survey seemed to be from the outside-in, which is maybe why I reacted the way I did.