How Branding is Like Sex

Our first-ever guest post is contributed by our alliance partner Deborah Hymes of WanderNot, Inc.

If comparing something to sex doesn’t make it more interesting, then we’re not doing it right. Take branding, for instance. Here are the three most important ways that branding is like sex.

#1: IT'S SIMULTANEOUSLY UBIQUITOUS AND MYSTERIOUS. Like sex, branding is everywhere. And like sex, we’re all convinced that branding is what sells. Do a simple Amazon search on “branding” and you get 50,840 results. Whether you’re one of the “dummies” or a Harvard Business School grad, you could spend the rest of your life reading up on effective branding, simple branding, personal branding, corporate branding, emotional branding and digital branding, just for starters.

To paraphrase Winston Churchill: Never was so much written by so many and understood by so few. Yet despite all this information, the currents and eddies of attraction between products and buyers remain as elusive as the tendrils of desire between individuals.

#2: EVERYONE THINKS THEY DO IT BETTER AND MORE OFTEN THAN THEY ACTUALLY DO. Five years ago, just having a website was a big deal. Now a website is just the beginning. We’re also Twittering, blogging, Facebooking, MySpace-ing and YouTube-ing. In other words, there are lots of opportunities to make some noise, but very little real communication.

Much of the clamor in the marketplace is companies talking to themselves. Putting a logo or company name everywhere isn’t branding, it’s marketing. Marketing doesn’t become branding until it evolves into a meaningful conversation between you and your customers. Like sex, talking is also something you can do alone, but it’s more fun with other people.

#3: MAD SKILLS ARE GREAT, BUT NOTHING TRUMPS TRUE LOVE. You can’t fake passion for very long. And you certainly can’t fake a genuine investment in your customers’ happiness. All beloved brands share a common trait: the value they bring to their customers’ lives exceeds the value of the particular product or service they offer. That value may be convenience, glamour, humor, beauty, or something else. And it’s that intangible enhancement in quality of life that creates nearly unbreakable brand loyalty.

So what’s the bottom line here? First, comparing branding to sex really does make branding more interesting. Second, like love, successful branding transcends the sum of its parts to become something greater. And third, an Amazon search on “sex” yields over a half-million results, with a recommendation for “Amazon’s Madonna Store” highlighted right at the top of the page.

Now that’s some powerful branding.

DEFYING THE DOWNTURN | MAKE THE RECESSION THE BEST THING THAT EVER HAPPENED TO YOU

From weakened competition, to motivated consumers, add in the most affordable media costs we've seen in years, and it's the perfect storm to grow your business and take market share. 

Don't be caught in doomsday headlines. If you choose to work hard, and more importantly work smart, this downturn can be the best thing that ever happened to your company. No Joke. 

Let's break it down. 

WEAKENED COMPETITION

As we discussed last week, some companies are cutting back. Your competition is cutting back. The voices competing for your customers are going quiet. Speak up! Consumers in this market are looking for companies that are healthy and strong. Simply by staying visible and present, you are making it clear that you are hear to stay. And your competitors silence will speak just as loud. 

MOTIVATED CONSUMERS

With the majority of Americans facing more constrained resources, more and more are reconsidering every purchase. Their brand loyalty is up for grabs. Contrary to common belief, they are not looking for the lowest price, they are looking for the greatest value. Marketing can be a major tool in creating value for your clients. Look at your product/service from your customers perspective. What is the most important thing to them? What are they looking for? Speak to their needs.

Stay tuned, as we dig deeper into ways to make this recession the best thing that ever happened to your company.

DEFYING THE DOWN TURN | F@$& CUTTING BACK, TIME TO STEP IT UP

Any number of things can cause the phone to stop ringing, bad press, new competition, your local economy, or a national recession like we are facing today. No matter the cause, we have found the reaction is the same. 

Some companies view marketing and sales as an extra curricular activity. When sales slow down, and in turn available cash slows down, some conclude that the budget for marketing and sales must be reduce to compensate. 

Other companies see the pipeline in reverse. Viewing current sales as the fund supplying faucet to the marketing pool. Instead, they see marketing and sales as the source of new sales. These companies see down turned sales as the green light to step up volume generating efforts. 

From our experience, those that view marketing and sales as a source of volume, and not simply an expendable line item, self fulfill their own prophesy. But the first set have some real concerns as well, "We can't spend money we don't have." 

When faced with restrained resources, it forces companies to market smarter, not market less. More bad marketing is born is times of surplus than any other time. Its important to remember that marketing is measured by its impact, not its price tag. Stepping up your efforts could include spending less on it.

So when your company is faced with reduced sales, resist the urge to cut your marketing and sales efforts. Instead, get motivated, get creative, and go out there and change the tides.

Stay tuned as we continue to discuss the opportunities in front of all of us, and more importantly how to market smart, and maximize every dollar you spend. 

DEFYING THE DOWNTURN | JOIN THE CONVERSTATION

This week we were given the opportunity to join the conversation surrounding the current economy, and its effect on our company. With the majority of the current coverage of the economic climate cementing every negative aspect of the down turn, we are passionate about the opportunities that are presenting themselves. 

Over the next few weeks we will be exploring some of the different opportunities we have found, as well as those found by some of our colleagues and clients. We invite you to share your thoughts, and insights. 

We would especially like to invite you to share how this is effecting your company, are you facing hurdles and needing to brainstorm ways overcome them? or are you maximizing on the new opportunities and finding success? 

Now is the time for you to join the conversation.