Branding expert Michel Hogan answers your killer brand questions

This month we asked you for questions on marketing and build branding, essential elements of building an enduring business. Answering your Ask Us Anything questions this week in partnership with Optus Business is independent brand counsel and long-time SmartCompany contributor Michel Hogan (who has been writing for us since way back in 2007). We have chosen three excellent questions on differentiation, guerrilla marketing and brand-building outside social from the many excellent queries we received this month. We hope Michel’s expert answers will help you build a robust, resilient brand that survives and thrives in the years to come.

Q1: I run a small retail store (and ecomm), how can I differentiate my store from others locally that sell the same or similar products?

There are other ways to stand out. The actual products are only one aspect of your business. You might focus on customer service, going above what others do. Or look at how people feel and the experience they have when visiting and buying from your physical and online stores.

Although it can be tempting to copy what others are doing, stick with ideas that align with what’s most important to you about your business. In his classic book Purple Cow, marketing expert Seth Godin writes about making yourself someone people want to talk about. 

People remember small stuff, so you don’t have to think big; personal touches can pack a punch. A restaurant once gave black napkins, so they didn’t leave white lint on dark trousers. An apparel company always sent a heartfelt handwritten note with my purchase, thanking me for shopping with them again.

Perhaps play some background music, or think about the lighting or store fit-out. Chemist Warehouse is deliberately bare-bones because it supports the low prices they care about. Even online, it’s possible to make the experience distinctive by considering how you present and talk about your products. Retailers often don’t seem to know much about what they sell.

Your brand is a result of everything you do. So there’s no shortage of places you can explore to stand out and create value. Dig around and I’m sure you’ll see lots of ways to stand out.

Q2: What are your thoughts on guerrilla marketing and do you think it’s still effective in today’s times?

What started out as low-cost street marketing got hijacked by big-budget agencies. Today, what gets touted in popular examples is, to my mind, normal marketing in a guerrilla suit. 

Yet, even as how and who uses it has moved beyond sneaky, scrappy and small-scale it can still have an outsize impact when done well: and I think old-school low-cost ideas do still work. 

Last summer, I saw a berry grower post a series of clever handwritten signs along a stretch of freeway teasing their roadside stall. The signs worked, and they seemed consistently busy. 

Catching people off guard and making them curious are essential elements of success. Surprise comes from either unconventional content or delivery. But choose one. Go outside the social or other media channels and surprise people, or use regular channels in an unusual way. 

Interactive elements are also more common today than footpath chalk art and postcards in odd places. Not that I have anything against either of those things. Funny can help, but only if it fits with who you are. And definitely avoid making fun of people—no one enjoys feeling stupid. 

Ultimately, guerrilla means you get to break the rules. But the best ideas stay relevant to who you are. What you sell. And only make promises you can keep.

Q3: We are a new startup and have a low budget, so will be relying on a lot of organic social media to help build our brand. Are there other avenues we can consider to help build our brand outside of social?

Everything you do adds to the value stored in your brand. So yes. There are plenty of things that will help boost your efforts and that don’t cost a thing because they’re part of how you do business.

A brand is the result of the promises you keep (and break) — all of them. And very few companies keep theirs consistently. So, just doing what you say goes a long way. 

Good word of mouth is the most valuable thing. No business can grow without it. And nothing sends people for the exit and to vent on social media faster than broken promises and unmet expectations. So, take time and think about your promises before you make them. Be diligent in both. Set clear expectations with your team, customers and other stakeholders for what you can and can’t do. Then, keep those commitments every time.

How do you handle communications? You can stand out with a few well-chosen words that don’t sound like everyone else. How do you deliver what you sell? Whether it’s products or services, there are surely places to add some oomph. 

When you think about startups that flourish, they are unapologetically themselves. You get less leeway as you grow, so double down on what makes you weirdly you while you can.