At Archer Creative, we often ask our prospects and clients “What are you doing differently to your competitors?” While each can deliver a response filled with purpose and passion, many often stumble when it comes to promoting this message in their marketing.
Most equine businesses are born out of clear gaps in the market, with their owners having experienced firsthand a problem they could fix or a need they could fill. Indeed, what starts as a labour of love, quickly turns into a growing enterprise, in which successful marketing is required for marketshare.
However, defining a point of difference and promoting it are two very different things, with the latter posing a unique challenge for some. In this article, we re-visit the essentials that form the foundations of a successful brand and demonstrate the power of an authentic approach to equestrian marketing.
The New Consumer
More and more, businesses of every industry are grappling with a changing target market. Undercutting on price, misleading messages and pushing a poor product or service are quickly diminishing in the face of a discerning and demanding customer that expects more from those they do business with.
In fact, today’s consumer isn’t only looking for a solution to their problem, but a business that truly resonates with their values. Transparency, authenticity and sustainability are reflective of the businesses that’ll survive in this new marketplace. As such, marketing is no longer focused solely on making sales, but communicating the human elements of a brand.
Those who achieve this are not only rewarded in revenue, but are able to cultivate their own community; turning one-off shoppers into lifetime customers. Marketing messages take their cue from storytelling as emotion and imagery are interwoven with features and statistics. A business is deemed successful by its ability to connect with and relate to its customers.
Share Your Story
In terms of marketing trends, storytelling is only set to grow. From the basics of a brand, like its logo and tagline, to every instance where a company’s message appears, emotional branding taps into something human cultures have been doing for millennia. The most powerful marketing messages tell, not sell.
The rules haven’t changed. A compelling and unforgettable story has three key ingredients – setting the scene, chronicling the conflict and offering a resolution. However, marketing messages require one final staple and that’s a call to action. To motivate a desired action is to tell a good story.
However, a brand’s story must return to the real hero at its centre: the customer. An equine business that truly understands its audience and shares personalised stories of its customers is one that is most in touch. Whether it is told via social media, text, audio or video, the medium doesn’t matter, but the story must inspire, motivate and drive action.
Create a Community
Finally, every marketing touchpoint serves to create a connection between business and buyer. A website is a business’ front door, their Facebook page a virtual meeting place and their staff representative of all they stand for.
The strongest businesses create consistency. From Facebook posts to emails, their messaging reflects their defining characteristics. Beyond visuals alone, the overall experience of a brand assures the prospect they are in the right place – this is the brand they’ve come to know and love. They communicate to their audience in the same way they’d address an individual; they personalise and delight because they know their customers.
In doing so, they return to their point of difference time and again, because it is their point of difference, after all, that first attracted their customers. It is a story told in authenticity, a clearly defined brand based on firm values and a quality product or service that truly embodies their purpose.
Looking for some outside support? Don’t wait for success, create it — with the experts in equine marketing, Archer Creative. To learn more about how we can help you exceed your growth goals, call us on 1300 077 126 or visit www.archercreative.net.au.
