A recent article on desantisbreindel.com looks at why focus is important for brands and businesses.
Every morning before my coffee hits and my mood improves, I shuffle onto a crowded, Manhattan-bound L train. More often than not, at least one of my fellow passengers is an ad from ConEd bearing its campaign line cum tag line “Everything Matters.” And every time I see “Everything Matters” plastered next to a smiling family or a lit Christmas tree, I think “Well…duh.”
Maybe I’m too grumpy before that first cup of joe, but to me, ConEd’s campaign illustrates the dangers of trying too hard to appeal to everyone.
“When a brand’s scope is extended and extended so that it means something to
everyone, it more often than not actually means nothing to anyone.”
Great Branding is About Focus
The most compelling brands don’t promise the world; they make the world a strong promise and they deliver. When a brand’s scope is extended and extended so that it means something to everyone, it more often than not actually means nothing to anyone.
And that’s where “Everything Matters” comes in. The sentiment is nice, but what exactly does it mean? And is it something ConEd can actually deliver? When the snowstorm knocks the power out, is a child’s nightlight really the same priority as the MTA?
Think of FedEx and “The World On Time.” It’s a simple, direct, and understandable promise: Time-sensitive delivery. Not “everything.” And that’s one reason why FedEx has been able to use the same tagline for more than 20 years
Finding the Right Balance
In an effort to build visibility and grow business, it’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking more audiences means more traction. But in B2B, this is rarely the case. Focus often requires taking a hard look at who a brand truly needs to connect with. Even companies expanding into new vertical or geographic markets have to hone in on the audiences that are most important to successful entrance.
Read the full article here.
