Right, we've hidden our Polestar under a bushel for too long. A week on from our event, we wanted to share a few thoughts of our own on how to harness the power of advocacy:
- First of all it's NOT the ONLY answer; advertising, sampling, PR, content etc all still play a vital role....but only as part of a wider, integrated strategy for advocacy creation.
- We believe that doing the right thing must increasingly come before saying the right thing. This can take multiple guises and involve anything from relevant charity links and innovative promotions through to mobile apps, genuinely value add web services or a differentiated customer service experience.
- Driving advocacy is not an after-thought - it needs to be a fundamental part of your planning. Start the planning process from brand thinking & design. After all, the brand is the message and often the strategic development of the brand itself can create a platform for advocacy.
- After, and only after, this first stage turn your focus to how communications can amplify the 'advocacy advantages' created by your product or service.
- Yes the internet and other interactive media are playing an increasingly important role here, but there is no reason why traditional mass media can't also play their part. And just to be clear, this isn't consumers talking about the ads - an over-valued and in business terms often irrelevant measure - it's about how communications can better seed relevant brand stories into conversation.
Innovate, innovate, innovate. Conventional and template thinking will only leave you way down the line behind a hundred more established brands in the sector. It's vital to 'start your own queue'.
P.S. If you're interested in hearing more about how we can help to activate advocacy for your brand, feel free to get in touch
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment