Selling the Drama
by Live & Inspire in People+Organizations | No Comments Yet | Add your comment

Share

Selling the Drama. By Sedick Sasman

What is this “drama” you ask? This is what is going to keep your audience engaged. This drama is the essence and the climax of your story. This “drama”, my dear reader, is what your brand stands for.

It is what will make crowds stand up and cheer your name. (and sometimes take their tops off…) It is what you will be remembered for.

Imagine this: Your product or service goes on sale after a shiny-over-the-top marketing campaign. You sell out and make millions! Successful, some might say. But, is it really?

What are you going to do now, besides buy a yacht? Have you captured the hearts of your audience? How about, NO. You have created a business that makes a huge amount of money. No drama. No substance. No encore. A one hit wonder. A relationship between you and your audience was not formed.

Remember your first love. (Yes, I’m going there… mostly because I can… and nobody is stopping me.) You all know what I’m talking about right? Either partner wanted the other to know exactly what they wanted, when they wanted. (Please stop thinking what I think you’re thinking!) You had to develop a sense of mutual understanding, trust, and a little bit of telepathy. You ignited the passion in each other and rooms came alive with your presence. Every song was about you and your lives were dramatic, thrilling and exciting. Now you didn’t get here by being a douche. You took the risk of letting your partner into your life.

And THAT risk is an important one.

Even if this sounds like a fairy tale to you, the relationship between your brand and customer is much the same. Or at least, when you start believing that your customers are partners in your brand’s success rather than just buyers. Your customers are as much a part of your brand, as your brand is of their lives.

Keeping that in mind, ask yourself these questions: “Do I know what my partner wants?”(“partner” being your customer… focus!); “Do I want my partner to stick around because of my awesome products or my brand’s values?” And the most important question: “Do I want my partner/customer to be part of who I am?”

The answer to that last one should be “Yes”.

Now take a look at what your brand is communicating. Your brand should be conveying the right message by selling, advertising and marketing more than just its products and services. (Like you eventually convinced the love of your life that you are more than a flashy car.) Honesty and transparency in your creative strategy plays a bigger part in this than you might think. Your creative communications needs to convey the essence and the climax of your story. It needs to make crowds stand up and cheer your name.

In other words, you need to invite your customers to share in the DRAMA that is your brand. You want them to buy INTO your offering.

If you communicate this effectively, you will not only gain customers, but lifelong partners. This is a good risk to take. (Unless you like spending your days writing sad sonnets in the basement.)

Your brand is your customer, and your customer is your brand. Making money is not the primary objective. Your communication should strive to make them aware of this by having a story of truth, and with substance.

~~~ About the contributor ~~~

Sedick Sasman is a independent creative contractor based in South Africa. His goal is to help other small businesses/ start-ups to get their message out there. He believes that a successful brand combines it’s vision, creative strategy and design into one meaningful and impact-full force. To find out more, visit  www.substance-creative.co.za

Copyright © 2010 Live & Inspire Sdn Bhd. Reproduction without explicit permission is prohibited.