A recent article in the South Bend Tribune about our client SMART Temps’ quick entry and success got us thinking about the challenges Start-Ups face.
While it may seem like a daunting task to start a new company, launch a line extension, or take a new product to market — success can be achievable by following some pretty straightforward branding strategies.
So, what steps should you take to quickly establish credibility?
1. Know Your Target
Pretty basic, right? While you may think your product or service is fantastic, make sure who will purchasing it feels the same way. It’s very easy for a company to get caught up in features and innovations, but they can’t lose sight of whether or not their customers will see these as benefits.
We help clients do this by developing a creative brief that helps everyone understand why they should be interested in what they’re trying to market. For SMART Temps — it was school nutrition directors — and understanding this audience made it much easier to prioritize our communication strategy.
2. Have a Plan
People inside of Pathfinders get sick of me saying this, but … you can’t build a house without a blueprint. You must establish how you will engage your targets and move them along your sales funnel.
For SMART Temps, it started by building a 12-month marketing communication plan to get them organized. We also established their Unique Value Proposition, Positioning, and overall Copy Platform to formalize how they were going to present themselves.
3. Make a Good First Impression
Putting your best foot forward from day one is critical to your long term success. Make sure your first impression is a lasting one (in a good way). With SMART Temps’, their first test came through their association’s national trade show in Las Vegas. Their exhibition resulted in a response exponentially more positive than they had anticipated, exceeding target sales by 10 times.
We are proud to have helped the team at SMART Temps successfully launch their business venture.
Following these simple steps can ensure any company successful venture with any product or service. Having a great agency doesn’t hurt either.