Brand Like A Boss: Turning Customers into Fans
Get on top of your branding game with Nesh Pillay’s top tips.
Brand Like A Boss: Turning Customers into Fans
Nesh Pillay, Newcomer Entrepreneur in Residence at the Albion Branch
Entrepreneur-in-Residence Nesh Pillay joined a panel of experts at the Albion Library to discuss the importance of personal and professional branding and what it takes to brand like a boss. Taking Press Pillay – the agency she founded to help non-profit organizations and startups with their marketing needs – as an example, here’s a breakdown of the essentials:
Own your USP
First and foremost, an effective brand should clearly communicate your unique selling proposition (USP), i.e. who you are and what you offer to the world, in order to make your brand stand out in the vast sea of options.
Press Pillay is one of numerous communications agencies specializing in PR in Toronto. Unlike other agencies however, Press Pillay brands its services as “PR with a purpose,” catering largely to organizations and non-profits looking to make a positive impact on society.
Make your audience realize that they need you
A good brand establishes relevance to your target audience and answers the question “Why do I need this in my life?” before it even crosses their mind. Your brand should awaken your audience to an unmet need, and show them that you can satisfy it.
Many startups don’t know where to begin when it comes to their communications strategy, which is where Press Pillay comes in. Whether it’s PR and media outreach, social media strategy and management, or content creation, Press Pillay can pinpoint and address your business needs at a given stage in your life cycle.
Show that you can do a great job
Great branding confirms your credibility, which increases the chances of people engaging with your brand over others. One of the best ways to build brand credibility is being endorsed by trusted third parties such as journalists and influencers whose opinions matter to your target audience. Because you are leveraging other people’s reputations to build up your own, this of course requires actually being good at what you do, so be sure that you can back it up.
Nesh earned her stripes in marketing, PR, and branding when she worked as a founding reporter for The Drum and as former marketing VP of a digital ad-tech company. Aside from a network of reliable media contacts, her experience gives credence to Press Pillay’s offerings and establishes the agency as an expert in PR and digital communications.
Make your customers feel an emotional connection
Effective branding creates an emotional connection with your audience. This entails going beyond your value proposition statement and communicating something that stirs up positive feelings that get associated with your brand.
Aside from its services, Press Pillay has come to be known for its philanthropic efforts. Through “Pillanthropy,” the agency devotes 10% of its profits to provide pro-bono digital marketing services and training to non-profit organizations. By sincerely communicating its advocacy to “make marketing matter,” the agency is able to connect on a deeper level with clients who want to change the world for the better.
Turn your customers into fans
Finally, when done well, branding inspires loyalty among consumers. A customer becomes a fan when any of these conditions are met:
1. You deliver – or better yet, over-deliver – on your brand promise, which builds trust and keeps customers coming back, or even gets them to recommend you;
2. Your brand values are aligned with theirs (e.g. you support causes that are important to your consumers or uphold these values through your business practices);
3. You prioritize customer service – or responsiveness, if you’re building your personal brand – and make people feel like you care about them.
Sustainability is one of Press Pillay’s core values, which it shares with bicycle company VanMoof. This, along with the successful PR campaigns Press Pillay executed for VanMoof, has led to a great relationship and a continuing partnership between the two companies.
Use these tips to build your dream brand, own it like a boss, and watch your success soar.
Books and Online Resources
Check out these books on creating and marketing your brand for more tips.
Safari Tech Online also offers a wide variety of books and videos on branding that can be streamed from anywhere with a valid Toronto Public Library card.
Comments