Creative Strategies for Your Brand
Embrace the Unexpected
In a sea of texts, emails, and largely unwanted advertisements, standing out requires true creativity and a willingness to embrace the unexpected. I love when I stumble upon a brand doing something unexpected. Letting go of the conventional and seizing unique branding opportunities can leave a lasting impression. This week, let’s explore how small, unique touchpoints can elevate your branding and create memorable experiences with your audience.
Let’s get fuckin’ unexpected weird with it -
Small Details, Big Impact
Here’s a list of playful ideas to spice up your brand. Let’s dive in!
Unique Packaging
Enhance your packaging to make it stand out. Use bold mantras on your mailer boxes to empower customers or customize your packaging designs for special occasions, seasons, and holidays. You could embrace eco-friendly materials that reflect your sustainability values or include handwritten notes thanking customers for their support. Make your unboxing moment an epic experience.
Personalized touches enhance the unboxing experience, making customers feel valued and special.
Surprise Deliveries
Send surprise gifts or thank you cards to loyal customers. A subscription box service might include an extra product as a thank-you for continued support. If you’re closing out a long-term project with a valued client, physically mail them a thoughtful gift as a heartfelt thank you. An unexpected gesture can be a fun and valued moment.
Surprise deliveries can make your tribe feel appreciated and foster a deeper emotional connection to your brand.
Collab with a Local Artist
Collaborate with local artists to create murals that reflect your brand’s values. You could host an event where customers contribute to the mural, making them involved in the creative process. You could have the mural on the side of your storefront or commission a painting to use in your marketing materials.
Value-packed art engages the community and showcases your brand’s personality.
Market Nostalgia
Tap into nostalgia by revisiting classic products or styles that resonate with your audience’s past experiences. Tap into some nostalgic references within your merch or release a product line featuring retro flavors and designs. If you’re targeting millennials, iconic 90s and early oughts songs for your social posts could hit deeper with that audience. Make a branded tamagotchi your new office pet. Get weird with it!
Nostalgia creates emotional connections, making customers more likely to engage and share their experiences.
Turn Negativity into Opportunity
Embrace negative feedback as a chance to showcase your brand’s human side. Publicly acknowledge your shortcomings along with your plans to correct them. Respond to hateful messages in a way that highlights your brand values and promotes your brand identity - if you’re a cheeky brand, be sassy. If you’re a lover - fight em’ with kindness.
This can build trust and demonstrate integrity, turning potential negativity into a positive brand narrative.
Gamify of Your Brand
Incorporate gamification to engage your audience. Create a loyalty program that rewards your tribe for purchases, reviews, or social media shares. Introduce challenges or quizzes related to your brand, offering prizes for participation. If you’ve got a storefront, host a trivia night!
Gamification boosts engagement and builds a sense of community, making your tribe feel more connected to your brand.
Embrace a Unique Partnership
Explore partnerships with brands that share your values. A fitness brand might team up with a brewery for a “yoga and beer” event. You could team up with an influencer in a different industry that connects uniquely to yours. Think on the level of Bic, Snoop Dogg, and Martha Stewart - what a combination!
A unique collaboration can broaden your audience reach and create fresh experiences that attract new customers.
Create a Fun Vocabulary
Develop a unique brand language that reflects your personality and resonates with your audience. Use playful or distinctive phrases in your marketing materials to create a memorable voice that sets you apart. Think of the terms “Swifties”, “Livies”, and “Little Monsters”. These are all names popular musicians have dubbed their fans. Create a unique name for your fans, use it throughout your messaging, sell merch with it, create a secret language that makes your tribe feel “in the know”.
A strong brand language enhances recognition and fosters a deeper emotional connection with your audience.
Gain Recognition
Doing the unexpected can set you apart in a crowded market. Embrace being creative and tapping into that weird “what if” that pops into your head mid shower. Focus on the details of your offering and where within that process and product you can personalize your customer’s experience. Stand out, stay true to your values, and connect on a deeper level.
Cheers to the uncomfortable and the unexpected,
- Katie Mont
