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How tocapture the imagination
with your marketing
[double b] design + copy
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IMAGINATION | B2B TECH | PRODUCT | BRAND | YOUR STORY WANT MORE?
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we capture the imagination of our prospects in the stories we tell.
These stories can then impact our product marketing and our brand.
We’ll see how in the following sections:
• stories spark our imagination
• what’s the story in b2b tech?
• the product is not the brand
• bring brand stories back
• how to tell your story
Just suppose...
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Everyone has experienced the flicker of fancy sparked by a story.
Stories are used to share and interpret experiences, to inspire or
teach us things like ethics, morals or cultural values, to persuade,
influence or foster empathy and community.
Stories spark our imagination
Stories are important because:• Stories shape how others see you• Stories are memorable• Stories can persuade others to action
IMAGINATION | B2B TECH | PRODUCT | BRAND | YOUR STORY WANT MORE?
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When we make a connection with a story, we also innately
connect with the storyteller.
Stories work by engaging our temporal lobe...
A good story releases chemicals in the brain which regulate attention span, stress, pleasure, and empathy.
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..which processes complex language.
A story isREMEMBERED
than facts alone.Stanford University Research
22 -times more
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The goal for storytelling in marketing is to make that connection
with your audience first and foremost—before ever trying to promote
a product or service.
But today’s marketplace is crowded, especially in the business-
to-business (b2b) tech space.
What’s the story with b2b tech?
$113.1 BILLION 75%
CUSTOMERS$90.7 BILLION
SaaS cloud applications (Software as a Service)
IaaS & PaaS (Internet and Platform as a Service)
Technology application and services market growth by 2021:Gartner Research
Prefer to buy via app or website without any salesperson engagement
Forrester Research
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Alongside the digital product boom, online technologies shifted
the way we market. Every online search, click, download, chat or
purchase gave marketers insight into the buyer’s persona and
online behavior. Channels and influencers now had to be considered
strategically as a way to break through the noise and clutter of an
ever-deafening din of online messaging.
The result of all this change over time has been the shift to a very product-centric message.
Brand Led PushAdvertisers push content toward prospects in an
obtrusive way hoping they may have a need to buy.
Push versus pull marketing:Digital technologies track online behavior and feed the marketing machine, resulting in a product-centric focus.
Consumer Led PullConsumers pull content and resources to help
them do their job and will buy when they are ready.
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This is all great. This messaging is relevant to what people want.
We learn to market products in terms of the problems they solve or
how the product will make the user’s job easier, faster, better.
But products are fleeting. A new one is always around the corner.
Bells and whistles seek to attract the audience and the decision comes
down to a brutal line-by-line comparison of one product over another.
Where’s the soul in that? What happened to the brand?
Products are fleeting...Feature comparisons are ever-changing and can devalue the brand.
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The product is not the brand
Sources of brand power:• Science = data• Art = creativity• Craft = purpose
We know that people purchase based on emotion. (Yes, even in
b2b tech marketing!) Once made, people then use logic or data to
justify and validate their decision. Especially in more crowded
product spaces, companies must work harder to not get lost in
the product shuffle.
The modern business must seek to define a brand proposition
(offer + emotion) that becomes associated not just with the product
but is integral to the company itself—to the brand.
“Data shows, as choices and channels increase, brand trustworthiness
is more important than ever to consumers.”
MsKinsey & Company, Global Consultancy Research
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Bad Examples Good Examples
Polaroid = lacked vision Slack = helpful collaboration at work
Blockbuster = missed trends MailChimp = marketing that’s quirky and playful
Netscape = ignored competition Amazon = revolutionary delivery of choice
One way to illustrate that product does not trump brand
is to look at some past business failures. These brands’ sole focus
on product resulted in a failure to invest in emerging technologies,
caused them to miss market trends, or to ignore competitive threats
that pushed them out of business.
On the other hand, other players are nailing the digital marketing
game by touting more than their product virtues and establishing
strong brand equity.
Product plus brand winsYour brand proposition combines both offer and emotion.
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Check out these successful b2b campaigns with a focus on people-led stories:
Moo: https://www.moo.com/blog/category/interviews
Zendesk: https://www.zendesk.com/repeatcustomer/
Cisco: https://blogs.cisco.com/tag/wearecisco
Critics of b2b marketing say there is a failure to connect with users
on a personal level. Businesses lack personality; it’s quite literally
like one business talking to another business—think concrete walls!
But people buy from people. So b2b marketers must talk
directly to their consumers, as people. Relating back to the magic
of story-telling, why not flip the script from product-led stories
to people-led stories?
Bring brand storytelling back
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Tell people-centric stories in these ways.
1. Build Community: Championing your users.
• Create user groups, online forums, training events• Evangelize via content, speaking, other events• Foster engagement via social media, sponsorships, culture
Brands are a combination of tangible and intangible elements:
• Visual design elements logo, color, typography, images, tagline, packaging, etc.
• Distinctive product features quality, design sensibility, personality, etc.
• Intangible aspects of customers’ experience with a product or company reputation, customer experience, etc.
WHAT MAKES A BRAND
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2. Embrace a Cause: Cause-related branding is especially
powerful in reaching the millennial market. Focus your stories
around the people working on your cause or benefiting from
it. Let your people stories inspire.
3. Strengthen Culture: Attracting the best employees can
mean a competitive edge. Tell people-led stories about your
employees. Define your company values and communicate
them well and consistently. Your brand will be influenced by
every customer touch-point along their buying journey.
4. Consistency is Key: Brand lies in the opinion of the
consumer. To influence the heck out of it, consistency is key.
Think of brand as a look, feel, voice, and personality. Be sure
all the elements come together cohesively to tell one simple
truth about your brand.
Then do it over and over again.
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Take a self-audit of your own marketing. How are you doing?
Do you use storytelling to inspire and to be remembered? Are you
focused on more than your product offering to tap into community
and emotions and to differentiate your brand? Do you have a
clearly defined brand personality, voice, culture and supporting
messaging to communicate it consistently?
This is how you capture the imaginative power of a story
that will make your brand thrive—from beginning to...
How to tell your story
Messaging Architecture
Brand Story - positioning, offering + emotion
Brand Pillar Messages - differentiators
Persona Messages - audience needs/problems
Product or Platform Messages - specific solution offering + emotion
Campaign Messages - limited-time (outside evergreen or overall brand)
the end.
[double b] is a solo-owned boutique agency with expertise in b2b tech marketing.
I specialize in combining words and images with sound strategies to
help you build a brand that people will love.
If I can lend a hand in putting a story and visual voice to your
brand marketing, from concept, copy, to design,
just give me a call.
“Storytelling is the most underrated skill.
You can have a great product, but a compelling story puts the
company into motion.”
Ben Horowitz, Forbes interview
IMAGINATION | B2B TECH | PRODUCT | BRAND | YOUR STORY WANT MORE?
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