Gone are the days when a brand existed simply to get products into the hands of its users. Today, things have gotten a little more complicated. Alright, a lot more complicated. Today, a unified brand must often communicate and appeal to a long laundry list of audiences, with often completely different interests.
A single brand could be catering to both B2B and B2C customers, across different markets and within different cultures, and, just to add a few more layers of complexity, to groups who aren’t technically ‘customers’ too – investors, potential partners, suppliers, governments, non-profit organisations, regulatory boards, and of course, the general public, who’s opinion matters more than ever.
Read our views on how to communicate effectively and authentically to different audiences, without diluting your brand essence.
A balancing act
Rapid changes across technology, globalisation, and consumer behaviour have fundamentally altered what it means to be a brand. The more complex and competitive dynamics become, the more opportunistic businesses evolve to be… so that being a brand today means being something of a jack-of-all-trades, preforming several functions and appealing to multiple audiences, at once.
Being a brand today means being something of a jack-of-all-trades, preforming several functions and appealing to multiple audiences.
Wouldn’t that be confusing, disorientating?
And yet, great brands manage to unite all of these audiences with a sense of clarity and confidence. How? It’s a delicate balancing act between what is fixed and what is flexible. Between preservation and customisation.
Creating authenticity, at a local level
Key to a brands success is customisation towards local markets. When expanding to new areas, dealing with multiple audience types, brands need to balance their heritage and core identity with the tastes, values and preferences of the local consumers they’re targeting. What feels true, relevant, attractive in one market, might come off as false, irrelevant, or downright distasteful, in another.
Consider the example of the motorbike. Never would a UK customer hear the words ‘family motorbike’ and think that was a sensible purchase. Whereas in Asian markets, like Thailand, Indonesia or India, the idea of using a motorbike to transport entire families to and from their daily activities seems like the most sensible, and cost-effective choice. In the west, we sell motorbikes through a mantra of freedom and individualism. In the east, through a sense of duty and collectivism.
Tailoring offerings to appeal in local markets shows local audiences you are sensitive to their needs.
The point is: tailoring offerings to appeal in local markets shows local audiences you are sensitive to their needs. In the same way, tailoring tone, messaging, and marketing materials to suit local attitudes creates an important layer of authenticity and relevance to your brand.
What is fixed and what is flexible
Introducing flexibility into brands can be a challenge. Brand managers have their work cut out ensuring the integrity and consistency of brand application as it is. Which begs the question – as different audiences require a tailored interpretation of your brand, what should stay the same, across all audience groups? With all this flexibility, what is fixed?
The answer to this question is something that is so intrinsic to your brand’s DNA, its purpose, what makes it unique amongst its competitors. It’s positioning.
A clear, well defined, differentiated brand positioning should be the unifying element across different markets.
A clear, well defined, differentiated brand positioning should be the unifying element across different markets. It’s the constant behind the inevitably periodic nature of marketing communications. It’s the North Star, helping brands steer audiences through change.
Finding the intersection
Creating a strategic brand positioning that resonates with diverse audiences begins with developing a deep understanding of each audience and their specific needs. At the heart of successful brand positioning is the ability to identify common ground – those shared values or aspirations that can unify different groups under a single, powerful proposition. It is at the intersection of these need states that a unifying positioning can develop, allowing brands to appeal to varied audiences without losing their core identity.
At the heart of successful brand positioning is the ability to identify common ground.
A great example of how brand positioning can unite different audiences, is the work we did for Fly Egypt. Originally successful as a charter airline for international package holiday providers, Fly Egypt evolved into a hybrid carrier, adding scheduled routes that catered to a growing number of prosperous Egyptians traveling for business and leisure within the region.
Fly Egypt had to appeal to both European tourists and local Egyptian travellers. We discovered that both groups were united by a sense of excitement and possibilities that travel brought them. For tourists, it was the thrill of exploring Egypt’s glorious holiday resorts and historic sites; for Egyptians, it was the promise of national prosperity and personal growth. We developed the brand positioning “Brighter Travel” to encapsulate this shared optimism. The visual identity combined modern design with historic Egyptian elements, creating a cohesive brand that resonated with both audiences.
Read the full case study, here.
Creating Senseâ„¢
In navigating diverse audiences, brands must balance preservation and customisation to maintain authenticity. Customisation towards local markets fosters connection and relevance, whilst fixed elements like brand purpose and positioning serve as anchors amidst evolving consumer landscapes. By identifying common ground at the intersection of divergent audiences, brands can craft resonant propositions that transcend cultural boundaries, embodying authenticity and unity in a complex market landscape.
At SDA, we support organisations big and small by Creating Senseâ„¢ through their brand. If you want to understand more about how strategic positioning and localisation can help you bridge between diverging audiences, get in touch.
