When it comes to branding, there’s nothing worse than people being indifferent. It means they don’t care. Love and hate are visceral emotions that take energy, commitment and knowledge; so if you have to choose, surely it’s better to be hated than to be ignored?
Take Marmite’s ‘Love it or hate it’ slogan, for example. The brand readily admits that its product isn’t liked by everyone and uses that to its advantage as a clever marketing tool.
But polarising isn’t easy. You have to face some hurtful truths about your company that might not be easy to hear. Not only that though, you then have to own them.
If you think you have the guts to polarise your branding, here are three tips on how to do so:
1. Choose a brand enemy
If you’re fighting against something in your industry, it’s bound to create a stir. People usually just accept that ‘it’s the way things are done’ because that’s how they’ve always been done, so if you try to change something and go against the norm, you’ll end up with people who agree with you and people who don’t.
2. Know that not all customers are right
If you try to serve everyone, you risk being bland and forgettable. Some customers aren’t right for your business, so you shouldn’t waste energy trying to appeal to them. Determine your target market, focus your efforts and admit that you’ll never be able to please everybody.
3. Be proud of what your brand stands for
If you believe in what your branding stands for, there’s more chance that your customers will too. If you have a clear purpose and you’re convincing at getting your message out there, you’ll earn respect – even if people don’t agree with you. Not everyone watches controversial TV channel Fox News, for example, but while some might not like it, no one can say the brand isn’t true to itself.
To avoid the indifference trap and make an impression in the marketplace, not only do you have to stand out amongst your peers, you also need to energise your customer base and fight to serve them even better. Not everyone will like it, but that’s the result you’re looking for.
Gorilla help companies build unstoppable brands, if you would like help or advice with your project then get in touch here
(Illustrations by Matt Varker, Gorilla)
