There are only 3 perspectives a consumer can have when they encounter your brand
Know what to do in each case
1.They want or need your brand now
There are millions of moments every single day where people want or need products and buy them. On Amazon, on brand websites, in brick and mortar stores. This is the commerce of advertising. People actively shop your brand and compare it to others. Every choice is a conscious decision. The mattress they sleep on, the toothpaste they brush with, the shoes they wear, the coffee they drink, the car they drive. Naysayers often proclaim that advertising doesn’t affect them. That’s complete BS. Otherwise, how do they choose all these products? Blindly throw a dart? Of course not. They base their decisions on comparing things like brand message, RTBs, cost and selection.
So how do we speak to this person? We target them with all the tools, ads manager, segmentation, in-store shelf talkers, and so on. We deliver the right competitive message at that critical moment closest to purchase. All communications go through the lens of the brand and tout the benefits. They have athlete’s foot right now. You tell them why your cream is best. They have a newborn. You tell them why your diapers are better. They’re about to go to a party and need to bring a bottle of wine. You tell them why they should grab yours. Don’t let anyone fool you, there are still millions of opportunities to serve someone an “advertisement,” something designed to overtly sell the benefits of your brand, despite all the whining that nobody wants to be “sold.” Consumers need this information to make an educated decision. The winners here make better ads, have better products, and get people to buy now.
2.They are considering your brand
The middle ground. They are not actively searching your brand, not comparing and shopping, BUT they are open and receptive to it. Diageo has said it takes eight encounters for someone to feel comfortable enough to try a brand. This is one of those eight. You plant the seed and water it for harvesting later.
So be out there, get mentions, use influencers, creators, pr, social posts. Make soft sell ads that help a consumer learn about you or the category in general. Something that captures a moment for them to register your brand in their coveted and limited brain space, and possibly add it to their consideration set.
3.The do not want your brand, and ignore it.
There are endless reasons why someone doesn’t want your brand. Let’s start with the average consumer sees 7000 messages a day, they cannot consider each. That would constitute their entire day. They have no choice but to swipe most. Next, 98% of people do not need your brand RIGHT NOW. At this exact moment, your product is not relevant. They don’t have athlete’s foot, so they don’t need your cream. It’s a car ad, and they currently use public transportation. It’s for a children’s product, they do not presently have children. Their toothpaste is full.
When someone is not in the market, for whatever reason, they blow your ad off. So, what do you do? Don’t give them an ad. Enter content. Approach them through the lens of the platform, not the brand. Present something interesting with high odds of attracting people on that particular platform. Something that gets them to pay attention when they would not have before, otherwise you ignore 98% of people. The real trick here, be certain the content makes perfect sense coming from YOU. It can’t be some non-sequitur attention-grab that leaves people perplexed and confused. Your singular goal with people here: get them to like your brand.
Whether someone sees a communication on social, TV, a billboard, a friend mentions it, an influencer talks it up, it doesn’t really matter. Whatever, wherever and whenever they encounter your brand, there are only three possible perspectives they bring to it. Know exactly what to do for each, and do it.
