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Does Your Brand Speak Volumes?

 

 -- as seen in the Tuesday, May 11, 2010 Memphis Daily News, by Lori Turner, Managing Partner --

 

You have a unique personality – a style and tone that makes you, you. Similarly, your company has a personality of its own. Is that personality coming through in your communication with prospects and customers? If not, you’re missing an opportunity to connect with them in an authentic way.

 

It’s actually difficult to remove personality from communications. So why do so few business communications reflect the company’s personality? Often, companies fear customers and prospects won’t understand or appreciate their personality. Also, we’ve been trained to believe you have to be serious in business. Consequently, we depersonalize communications to the point that no one wants to read them.

 

To determine your company’s voice, ask these questions. What is your company culture? What are the personality traits within your firm? How do you want customers and prospects to see you? A fun company? Humorous? Bold? Caring? Casual and approachable? Edgy? Trendy?

 

Moosejaw, an outdoor gear retailer with a strong online presence, has mastered the art of branding with a company voice. One of their strategies has been to pack a pre-printed note with every order featuring a clever message. One such note read:

 

If you are actually reading this note, you should be super happy. First, you have received your order, reading is fun and getting something in the mail (even if you bought it yourself) has got to make the day better. Second, I put your order together all by myself.”

 

The note is not only fun to read but makes you like Moosejaw more because of it. It works because it’s unexpected and memorable. While it’s clear that everyone who gets a package gets the same or a similar note, it’s refreshing not to get the typical promotional flier. It makes you feel like there are real humans on the other side of their communications. The tone is casual with a bit of an edgy sense of humor – that’s the Moosejaw personality. It appeals to the company’s target audience. And let’s face it; we all enjoy being a customer of a company that dares to have an interesting personality. Most importantly, it makes this company stand out in the market – giving it a competitive advantage.

 

At RedRover, Rover is our voice. He explains our sales and marketing philosophies, keeping them interesting with the obvious overuse of dog-gone corny expressions combined with the occasional dog command like speak or fetch. Rover is a hybrid of the personalities and sense of humor of our firm’s employees. We bring this voice to life in our written communications, website, company voice mail, and even in our office decor.

 

If you’re looking to stand apart from your competition economically, there may be no better avenue than creating a unique voice. It doesn’t have to be silly, fun or cool. A more serious tone can still carry a unique quality, engaging your customers and prospects and making them feel closer to you.

 

Contact RedRover for support in planning and executing a successful sales and marketing strategy for your business.

 

Click here for other Rover Treats – low cost sales and marketing tips to keep you leader of the pack in an economy that's gone to the dogs.