Magnetic Design for Passionate People

After 7 years in Russia, I take kefir for granted. You may not know what it is, but when I say it’s an Eastern European dairy product that – I’m usually interrupted by someone:

“Oh, is that the yogurt drink that helps you live to 100?”

Yep, that’s pretty much the definition.  Kefir is a cousin of yogurt and, while I couldn’t drink the real stuff in Russia (too sour and awful-tasting), I do love the fruity kind they sell at Whole Foods.

When I bought some recently at Kroger, the checkout lady asked, “Is that the stuff that you drink and live to 100?”

Literally repeated the exact same words as before.  The checkout lady!

I’m sure you’re wondering, “What the heck does this have to with branding, or marketing or anything except living to 100?”

I’ll tell you: You want your brand to be like kefir.

Even though kefir is a commodity, we can use the way it’s described as a lesson for our own brands.

* Is your message clear?  It should be understood immediately – without diagrams, stories, explanations or Power Points.  “Live to 100?  I want that!”

* Is it compelling enough to get attention?  Seems like the whole “live to 100″ thing has caught on.  Where did that come from anyway?

* Is your message benefit-oriented?   Kefir has such a big benefit (live to 100) that people forget the features – runny yogurt, sour flavor, probiotics….

* Is your message concise?  We may bemoan the sound-bite attention span, but they sure are easy to learn and repeat. Our new barbeque grill has us chuckling “Stop, Drop and Roll” all the time now.  Concise for a reason, right?

* Is it consistent?  You may find it hard to believe that the same words are used to describe kefir every time someone mentions it.  But, interestingly, when my clients field customer surveys, they find the same words being used to describe them over and over!  When you find out what they are, you can use those words to describe your brand to prospects.  If you don’t like them, define your brand better and teach new ones.

Kefir’s reputation has become a kind of meme or ideavirus, passed through word-of-mouth almost word-for-word.

We business owners would love to have a message that catchy!
How to do that?

1.    Name the biggest benefit you deliver.  It’s doesn’t have to be immortality. My car insurance guy once walked from his office to a little fender-bender I had.  I tell that to everyone who asks me about him.  Yours may be about increasing revenues or self-esteem, helping people get the job they want or express their anger safely.

2.    Craft it into a concise sound-bite.  This is always harder if you don’t know the full message, so think first about whom you help, what problems you solve and the unique results you deliver.  Then you can whittle it down to a nugget like “the pain-free massage therapist.” I always say my favorite photographer takes the most beautiful photos that still look like you.

3.    Repeat it exactly, without variation.  Once you get the language you want, stay consistent.  Too often we get bored with a message we’ve heard repeatedly. But your prospects have not learned it yet – and won’t if you keep changing it!

I had a client whose brand message changed every meeting.  I realized he liked evolving, creating and changing it.  This is like putting a plant in your garden, then digging it up and moving it every day.  It may be alive, but it will never take root and flourish.

© 2010 Enlightened Marketing

“By Samantha Hartley of Enlightened Marketing. For effective marketing strategies that align with your values visit http://www.enlightenedmarketing.com/.”