The Master Branding Strategy Part IV: FLEXIBILITY
If you were graded on your relevancy to your current target market, how would you score? Would you be able to identify your target market, and the changing trends within? If not, give this some thought. Your success at relevancy to your target audience is only as strong as your ability to be FLEXIBLE. How does your showroom look? How does your website look? In the second blog in our series, The Master Branding Strategy Part 2: Consistency, we talked about the importance of developing your overall message (i.e. your brand values!) and communicating them to your customers at every turn. So, for example, it doesn’t make sense that your showroom would be beautifully detailed with perfect inventory on your lot, yet with a totally outdated, non-mobile optimized, non-user friendly website with lousy inventory photos that don’t capture the care you take in your store and on your lot. However, almost as important as consistency, is your ability to zero in on the changing aspects of what your target audience want, and being willing and able to adapt to meet those desires. Being fresh and fun to your audience requires the ability to see your dealership the way your target audience sees you. We have a current client that is known as a small-town, friendly, attentive dealership within their community. How do they consistently achieve accolades within their target audience? They have a HUGE philanthropic presence in their community. They give away things, sponsor organizations and events, and show up to events to offer support, and the community notices. As they’ve been around, they’ve made every efforts to communicate that when you buy a vehicle from them, you become a part of their family, and this means they take care of you. This is in part due to a fantastic ability to communicate their own business values and purpose (see Your Branding Strategy Part 1: Purpose for more!), but also in their ability to adapt to the changing culture and identifying ways to stay relevant in their community.
Take a moment to consider your own branding tactics and evaluate whether or not they are still working. Don’t be afraid to consider a new website, a new variety of logo (color, typography, design), new product or deal names, new campaigns, or even commercials. Consider the changing social media trends and don’t be afraid to make strategic enhancements that strengthen your brand’s relevancy. This may even mean hiring a consultant to rework your logo and associated elements, or finding someone who can take great photos and great video (like Annex Room Media) in order to provide a fun, fresh, relevant content that speaks to your audience and communicates that you are here to serve them. Next week, we’ll explore how to work with your employees to get them on board with your plan--stay tuned!
