Marketing expert and noted author Bernadette Jiwa thinks too many people look at the marketing of a business as a basic transaction. The company has a product or service, and the customer is going to buy. This is a mistake, Bernadette believes, because businesses are missing out on a fabulous opportunity to take their company’s brand beyond a simple commodity.
With her new book, “Meaningful,” Bernadette emphasizes the importance of creating a story that customers can follow throughout their entire relationship with a company.
In Bernadette’s view, empathy and true understanding are the two biggest keys to developing a brand strategy that draws customers in for the long game. Citing examples from powerhouses of industry and those that are revolutionizing the way people live, Bernadette shares with Byron White, CEO of WriterAccess and host of the Writer Podcast, how a good story can reframe a customer’s entire world.
What to watch for in this podcast:
- How focusing on “getting the quick win” makes you lose out in forging deeper connections with your customer base
- Locating what may be missing from your company’s story
- The importance of empathy in creating a message that will resonate with customers
- Balancing your storytelling with the ways that customers will be changed by your product
- Finding the right timing for your story, based on the goals of the people you want to court and inspire
On the potential pitfalls of an overly complex marketing plan:
“We tend to get bogged down in the tactical stuff, instead of trying to understand the story of the people we hope to serve.”
On the need to really listen to what customers say:
“That’s where we go wrong. We don’t take the time to understand the customer’s perspective, and start there with our marketing and promotion efforts.”
On finding the common thread for your brand voice:
“There’s a storyline that runs through everything you do. [Tweet this] We’re too focused on getting to the end result that we forget that the customer needs to have that common thread that runs through.”
On over-sharing personal details:
“It’s not about ‘let me bare all and let me be their friend.’ You don’t need to launder all of your dirty underwear. It’s about understanding the people you serve.”
Do you want to discover what is missing from your story? Listen to this podcast with Bernadette Jiwa.
