Building a brand certainly isn't an easy feat.
The Apple's, Coca-Cola's and Nike's of the world didn't become synonymous with innovation, good times and athletics over night.
In fact, this speech from Steve Jobs shows how Apple struggled with their brand once upon a time.
But back then, the access and flow of information wasn't what it is today.
Today, with a little creativity and a lot of content, every business has an opportunity to rebrand itself - that is, to transform the way people think and feel about who you are and what you're selling.
Here are three ways how:
- Focus on what your business represents. Red Bull absolutely rocks it when it comes to selling what they're product represents: The days of "Red Bull gives you wings" have been replaced by content packed with adrenaline-pumping, thrill-seeking and extreme sports. In fact, the energy drink company doesn't just use their social media as a means of sharing this kind of content; their homepage is 100-percent content driven, and they also have a print magazine called the Red Bulletin that is circulated to more than a million people.
For a smaller business example, Brent's Deli in Los Angeles sells the typical Jewish deli fare, but they don't limit their social media content to only pastrami on rye bread. Instead, Brent's Deli owns the concept of the classic Jewish deli - from traditional dishes and Yiddish words, to topical contests (#TeamCornedBeef vs #TeamPastrami) and a family-driven focus (a staple of most Jewish delis).
- Use your business as a platform. WeWork, which provides shared workspace and communities for start-ups and entrepreneurs, launched a content campaign called #FoundedByWomen. By showcasing inspiring and empowering stories about female entrepreneurs, WeWork is developing credibility and support within the businesswomen community, which could very well lead to direct business growth down the line.
- Sell the experience. The new W Hotel in Tel Aviv-Jaffa, Israel definitely isn't lacking in brand recognition, but once you look up this hotel, you'll see that it's located in a not-so-well-known area called Jaffa (Tel Aviv's sister city). Instead of selling the hotel as a property, they sell the variety of upscale experiences in Jaffa with this W Jaffa Luxury Guide, providing self-serve information every traveler wants to know: where to eat, drink and shop, and what to see and do - all through a luxury lens.