Wise words there from Bill Bernbach, arguably the single most influential creative force in advertising history. Wise, because it’s so bloody obvious when you think about it.
It doesn’t matter what you’re selling. It doesn’t matter what industry you’re in. If you want your brand to stand out, then you’ll need a strong positioning. That’s what will make customers sit up and listen.
Positioning is the key to getting your message heard. And the first step is to answer some questions:
1. What problems do you solve for your customers? What do they worry about? What are they trying to achieve? How do you help?
2. Who are your competitors? How are they trying to solve customer problems? What problems do you solve better than they do? Why are you better than them?
3. Why should customers believe you? Can you make a simple connection between your approach and why it’s better for them?
If you understand this stuff, then you’re well on your way to identifying the single strongest thing you can say to make your audience sit up and listen. Or at least make your brand difficult to ignore. One thing that sets you apart. One thing that makes your brand better. One thing that will make your customers’ lives better.
You can worry about your logo later.
