The Brand Challenge

A break from the office is a really good opportunity to step outside the 'internal' mindset and consider your business and its place in the universe from a much bigger perspective.

Be the customer for a few minutes. Try being the ruthless journalist too. Or the time-poor end user. What does it feel like?

Next, put pen to paper and jot down some notes along the following lines. We're told that your gender will dictate whether this is a mindmap or a list, but no matter - whether you are a lovely lady or a gallant gentleman, the task is the same:

What do your customers really want (and we mean really, really want deep down)? Remember that most decisions, especially those made at work, come from the heart not the head. The kind of words you need to choose from are: trust, excitement, refreshment, confidence, authority, clarity, simpleness, warmth, safety... Consider your biggest, best customers. What does each of them want from you?
Put your critical hat on. Is every touchpoint that potential and existing customers have with your business living up to their hopes and dreams. Where are you succeeding? Where are you falling short?- get some quick wins under way. Time and money are limited in all businesses and the object of the exercise is not to create a to do list which is unaffordable and unachievable. So start by identifying assets which could be sweated more effectively. For example if your key customer 'want' is credibility and safety, could you add two more case studies to your existing four case studies and then peddle them one-by-one on your website, each appearing on your homepage as a 'featured case study' for a period of time? Could you put a link to the current featured case study in your email signatures? And email them as pdfs to your key contacts in the spirit of 'I saw this and thought of you'?
Finally, start a wish list of bigger projects, jotting down comments against potential return and expected investment against each. A good way to move forward with this list is to grab some time with an agency (Onefish Twofish is one, there are lots of others) and pick their brains for what's new and clever in B2B marketing, how you can make the best of your assets and how much some of your bigger wish-list projects might cost. Armed with this information you can make some good decisions for the coming financial year.

Now keep us posted on how you get on!