To Find Your Audience, Be Utterly Distinct
"You do not merely want to be considered the best of the best. You want to be considered the only ones that do what you do." -Jerry Garcia
When you hear the terms “brand story” and “brand voice” are you able to grab onto these marketing communications concepts or do you let them roll on by? The terms do sound a bit abstract, and a tad pretentious. Maybe we can think of them with the help of a musical metaphor.
Okay, here we go. Name a guitar player who you instantly recognize from a few licks because their sound is utterly distinct.
For me, it’s a select group of master players: Jerry Garcia, Carlos Santana, Jimi Hendrix, Derek Trucks, and Warren Haynes.
Now, which brands speak to you with the same levels of clarity and distinction? The brands that make your shortlist, like the guitar players above, will all have an utterly distinctive voice. How did they create and sustain it? Conscious efforts backed by strong investment and visionary leaders are what help companies become one of a kind in both deed and declaration.
Color Well Outside the Lines
I find myself reminding myself and people near and dear to me how the creative process is hugely important. The process is constructed and managed to allow discovery and foster connections between seemingly disparate elements. To help people make these connections on a regular basis, I highly recommend making time to color well outside the lines.
How we see the world is shaped by the tools, the training, and the approach we take. So, change the tools up. A writer, for instance, can learn to unlock new ideas by spending time applying paint to canvas, or playing piano, or making macrame. The point is to stretch one’s creative muscles by taking on new challenges (and not worrying about the outcomes because it’s the process that matters).
Bonehook Gets Religion
Bonehook was recently hired by St. Mark’s Episcopal Church of Marco Island, FL to remake the church’s logo and brand identity, create new street signs, and launch a redesigned website. Here’s a before and after of the logo transformation.
Before:
Now:
Digital Lagniappe
Humans are social creatures, therefore we experience painful biological responses to rejection.
Texas Monthly is running an interesting feature on Austin-based hotelier Liz Lambert and the success of her ‘aspirational’ properties.
Since the start of the pandemic, the combined stock market valuation of Apple, Alphabet, Nvidia, Tesla, Microsoft, Amazon, and Facebook increased by about 70 percent to more than $10 trillion. That is roughly the size of the entire U.S. stock market in 2002.
In June 2021, Austin home prices were up 40.0% compared to last year, selling for a median price of $595K.
I love Lee Ann Womack. Her songs, Her voice. Her gravitas. #TexasMusic
Austin broadcast media veteran, Chris Mosser says: “Last cycle proved that massive voter registration in Texas, while a good thing, is not going to cut it. Without solid messaging, competent strategy and great Dem candidates, the GOP will continue to run the show.”
We Can Work It Out
To connect with people in today’s marketplace, don’t just state your offer. Cast a spell.
Thanks for being here now.