Not all of us are blessed with a beautiful and exciting product to promote, some business ideas are commercially viable but lack a clear brand identity and voice. People can make their fortune selling bathroom products, office equipment or mechanical parts, but creating a brand image that people engage with and develop loyalty to in these spheres can prove difficult.

There are some simple things to remember when marketing a more ‘functional’ brand which can help to keep your message fun and inspiring while also targeting your key audience with all the practical information they need.

Image is everything:

It is certainly easier for brands selling the latest interior designs or clothing to create photography which shows their product in an appealing way, but just because your product or service is more practical than aesthetically pleasing, doesn’t mean your imagery should adhere to this principal. The unavoidable truth is that if you want your brand to get featured you need to have beautiful aspirational photography.

Place your boring product in the most beautiful setting you can, for example if it’s a bathroom product like a toilet brush, get a stylist to create the most covetable bathroom possible to showcase your toilet brush, the association with your brand will lend your product much needed sense of chic. Similarly, if your service is something practical like a temping agency for example, show a trendy office in a beautiful setting with happy people – all of these small touches are a way of influencing the customer to associate your brand with good things.

Move out of your comfort zone:

Using your service or product as a springboard for branching into other topics can open up a whole new brand opportunity. Make your brand an expert in their market and share tips and advice on your website which could prove useful to customers or clients.

Sell solar panels? Become an expert in the green agenda. Provide removal services? Tell your audience tips and advice for moving house and post useful tour guides for different areas they might be moving to. It is about giving your audience another reason to come to your site outside of your product. Make your blog a place people can get information, or post informative videos people will want to share – it is just another way to add value to your brand and build your image outside of your direct service offering.

Tone up:

Just as your imagery and content should not be restricted by the practical nature of your service, so the same rule applies with your brand tone. Language is one of the defining traits of a brand and so it is important to develop a consistent and authoritative tone - but don’t be afraid to play with your corporate voice.

Play on the pedestrian nature of your product, for example if you supply office equipment, send out fun things in your emails such as ‘top 10 famous telephones from the movies’ or ‘5 things you should never say on a conference call’ where you have a more relaxed and fun voice. Adopt this relaxed tone for Friday mailers or one off newsletters to keep your audience engaged and amused.

In short, they key thing to remember when marketing a dry product or service is that practical and functional brand image should be treated in the same way that exciting aesthetically pleasing ones are – get beautiful imagery, provide information and resources to your customers and make sure your corporate brand is fun and engaging. Easy!

 

By Grace Garland for Approved Index. 

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