Your brand position strategy needs to speak the language of your client to establish trust and loyalty. At the end of the day, people do business with people, and they trust people who they believe can relate to them, identify with their pain points, and clearly communicate the value of alleviating their pain points.
This is easier said than done. I speak with aesthetic providers who feel frustrated by the way social media and Groupon has commoditized our luxury industry. Anyone can say they are a skilled injector, but are they really? And what do we do about it?
In this blog, we’re going to talk about the layers to a brand position strategy and marketing communication to understand and connect with your clients on a meaningful level. We’ll cover:
- Introducing a disruptive philosophy that sets you apart
- How to get clear on the buying habits of your ideal client
- The impact of culture on purchasing
- Understanding the reach of the ripple effect
When you can confidently embrace and embody your brand positioning, your marketing and communications strategy will fall into place and attract the ideal audience for your business.
The power of claiming your identity through a brand position strategy
When you have a strong sense of who you are and what you stand for — a perspective that is recognized and shared by your ideal client — nothing can rattle you.
In our POP Aesthetic Leadership Academy I teach a session called “Marketing your disruptive philosophy.” We delve into the ideology behind thinking and speaking in a way that “disrupts” typical thinking. It shifts the voice behind your brand to elevate above a sea of “me too,” but also connects with your customer in a way that tells them, “I understand your needs and I am stepping up to fill the gap for you.”
This is one of the most challenging concepts for business owners to grasp. We are programmed as humans to fit in, and it can feel polarizing to speak out against what is commonly accepted or held as popular belief.
Team KLC has assembled an arsenal of data that proves that ruffling some feathers at the expense of losing prospective or existing clients who are misaligned is worth it if you have strategic brand positioning in place.
Tap into the purchasing drivers of your consumer base
Leader, it’s time to clarify your messaging and speak to your consumer on a new level. This starts by cultivating an intimate awareness of your patient’s purchasing drivers, openness to investing in aesthetic procedures, and willingness to rave about their great experiences.
A client recently shared with me how the majority of her patients are also members at her church, and they think and act as a hivemind when it comes to aesthetic treatments.
She described how every consultation is more like a therapy session, with her trying to assure them that aesthetics is about investing in their self care so they can show up as a better evangelist for God.
Billions of dollars are spent each year on studies to understand consumer data and forecast their buying habits. Demographics, psychographics, and sociographics have long made up the framework for brand managers and marketers, but authors Brad Benbow and Phil Daniels present new information on a significant customer segment — shoppers of faith.
Understanding the impacts of faith on aesthetic consumers
Religion affects consumer psychology and behavior through four key dimensions: beliefs, rituals, values, and community. Faith-driven consumers are more likely to engage with brands that respect their values, highlighting the relevance of faith based marketing. This type of buyer is eager to change their purchasing decisions based on a brand’s faith compatibility:
- 82% of faith-driven consumers are much more likely to shop with companies that promote Christian-compatible values
- 78% of faith-driven consumers would be likely to shift purchasing behavior based on a different brand’s compatibility with their Christian worldview
- 75% of faith-driven consumers are likely to choose a brand based on its compatibility with a Christian worldview
A significant percentage are also eager to encourage their friends to purchase faith-compatible brands and are willing to take their business elsewhere if a company doesn’t respect their values. That’s a lot of shoppers, as 80% of people worldwide and about 70% of Americans affiliate with a religion, creating a strong culture that strives to uphold its principles, even through its buying habits.
As Peter Drucker said, “Culture eats strategy for lunch,” so understanding your audience when crafting your brand position strategy is vital to authentically tapping into faith-based marketing.
The ripple effect of community philosophy
“Take any occupation of area of expertise, and eventually that consortium of individuals will refer to itself as a community and communities over time develop a culture that drives every form of thought and philosophy,” Benbow and Daniels write in their book, Spiritugraphics: The Influence of Faith on Consumption and Why It Matters to Your Brand.
For example, my sister grew up in the U.S. but now lives in Switzerland, where they take a different approach to waste management. When I visited earlier this year, I was shocked to find not one morsel of food, packaging, paper, filler, or wrapping goes unaccounted for in the composting and recycling process. Every other day we would deliver our sorted trash bags to the correct community bin to be picked up by the city.
These beliefs my sister has adopted about consumption and waste disposal will ultimately inform the products she purchases in Switzerland and the U.S. These established community values will influence the way manufacturers design and package their products to those consumers, creating a ripple effect.
Unleash your competitive edge
Your clients are not just seeking aesthetic treatments. Taking the time to determine how your customers align themselves with their values can be the key differentiating factor that allows you to show up with your disruptive philosophy. You can connect in a way that tells your most valued client you are the one and only provider for them through thoughtful, strategic brand positioning.
If you need help working through this ideology or artfully anchoring your brand to its purpose and sharing it with the world, book a discovery call with us now and let’s attract your ideal customers!
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