Brands, customers, and products

An interdependence paradox

Brands

Brands are living entities. The way through which we interact with the world. Call it customers gut feeling about you like Marty would say or the perception of your customers about you.

One thing is consistent, you behave a certain way, and your customers/audience perceive you a certain way. If there’s ever a disconnect, then you have a brand problem.

Now this problem can be in how you’ve chosen to define yourself, what you’re saying, or how you’ve chosen to impress upon your audience. Whichever way it is, you have a brand problem.

You can either decide to continuously iterate till you find out what’s wrong, or you get help from someone who’s done this long enough and can diagnose in the shortest time possible.

The questions:

• who am I?
• Who do people say I am?
• What do I do?
• What do people say I do?
• Who am I for?
• Who do people say I’m for?
• Do they recognize I’m for them?
• Can you hear me?
• Am I listening to you?
• What am I looking at per time? Etc.

These are brand questions that must be answered if you want to build something remarkable.

Customers

The reason you’re asking all these “brand questions” is not far fetched, you want to get to your customers. You want them to see you, recognize you in midst of other people that might provide similar solutions as you. And most importantly, not only to recognize you, but to choose you every time.

The reason you’re answering all these “brand questions” is to be your customers preferred choice at every point in time.

Building a customer focused brand should be the GOAT of your ambitions as an organization. And this takes root closely beside how you define yourself. The questions you’re answering should be in context of how much you understand who you’re serving/want to serve.

Nothing more, nothing less.

Why is this important?

You’re not in the market to serve yourself. Imagine how much better your service to me would be if you understood me.

I’d think you’re a god sent to answer all my X problem.

When you think of a problem, who comes to mind?

When you think of solving that problem, who do you choose?

These are the scenarios that play in the heads of your customers each day.

I have X problem; A, B and C can solve it for me. I’d just go with C, he C’s me, I think he gets me more.

• How do you find them?
• How to you initiate them?
• What do you call them?
• What do they call themselves in context of you?
• How do you win their trust?
• Would you eventually break their heart?
• How would you handle that situation?
• For how long do you want your relationship to last for?

These are customer focused questions.

Consider your customers as a proposed lover you’re trying to win over and when you do, you also want to sustain the relationship.

Not all relationships work out, but yours should.

Products

Why do I really need to care about what my lover thinks/needs?

Well, so you’re not a jerk and you can always magically get her the right kind of stuff.

Building revolutionary products like the steam engine, the iPhone, the airplane, nuclear weapons, the Nike shoe, didn’t happen because folks just wanted to create; it happened because these folks wanted to satisfy an unsaid need.

This comes from an understanding of your audience/customers that’s almost magical.

But revolutionary products are basically things your customers need.

Remember, it’s not about you!

It’s about your customers (it always is)

You’d have to spend time observing, planning et al, to craft services, build products and become who your audience needs anytime they call X.

A drop was a thing, still is.

Uber, Lyft, Bolt just redefined it.

Mobility was a thing, still is.

Ford, Tesla, Toyota just made it feel more nice.

Feeding was a thing, still is.

KFC, Macdonald’s, Iya Basira just tweaked it a bit.

Running shoes was a thing, still is.

Nike, Puma, Adidas, Aba Boys just did a thing with our soles.

The list is endless.

As long as humanity exists on earth or otherwise, products and services would be created.

How do you rise to be the choicest choice in your world?

That’s what we are going to find out at Yggdrasil on a random conversation on Brands, Customers and Products.