Branding Justice

Those viewing this post who are expecting a master class on Inbound marketing are going to have to wait a short while, as this post is probably my second post to do with helping a small company. The last post in this category was about Noise Radio,( https://www.facebook.com/noiseradiouk/timeline) who are a group of self-professed media and radio nerds that are collaborating as an incubator to work under a media group named Waterloo media.

This second post is based around a highly ambitious and aspirational 17-year-old who really throws himself into anything that he is given a chance with. This individual has started a company called Villains and Vengeance (https://marketplace.asos.com/search?q=villains+and+vengeance&at=True&WT.z_oss_sp=1&WT.z_oss_os=viallins%20and%20vegeance&tab=Boutique&no=Seller) , and today we met to discuss how he could improve his marketing strategy, or more realistically, where he should really start.

When we met it was clear that he had a lot on his mind and being inquisitive, we began talking about all of his other businesses/business ideas, as this is often the best way to fully understand the thinking behind someone’s real plans.  So from initially stepping away from his main business focus, it became clear that this entrepreneur is a real visionary. He has thought of at least 10 different businesses propositions and talked me through how they all linked together to form his all-encompassing business group.

From this business group proposal, I then asked about each individuals companies vision and mission and it became clear that this is where his marketing strategy would stumble. Each one of his ideas and his current active businesses, were all operating in the same way and had no differentiator. So this is where I started. After jotting all the phrases and words that were bounding around, we began by talking about his second real business venture; Go.Play. He had previously classed Go.Play and Villains and Vengeance as a group, however I questioned the rationale behind this, as they have no obvious link. So from here, it was clear that these two different entities should operate in two different ways, and once he could see this, the next steps were pretty simple.

We decided that the first step would be to write down and define what it is his two companies stand for. These would be used as the companies values, which in turn, will influence his mission statement. I think values should influence a mission, rather than the other way round. You should be able to choose what you want to believe in, rather than having to conform to a mission that advocates something you have no clear relationship with.

His mission and values for each business, will then be the focal point for his marketing strategy. For instance, Go.play, of which he has a 25% stake, is based around the notion of individuals being able to play sport and improve their skills through one to one training. His business partner, who is also the tennis coach, is the real brand of this company. He lives, eats and breathes tennis, so therefore the company’s values should be based around what he advocates. He is the best person, through previous experience, to advise and suggest ways of improving the service he offers, as he has lived with the disappointment of previous schemes.

To separate Go.Play and Villains, it was crucial for the individual to understand that these companies can believe in different things. So whilst Go.Play can stand for Fun, Improvement, enjoyment, Villains may stand for wealth, success, vanity etc. But up as of yet, it is unclear about what Villains is actually advocating. So therefore I asked him to first focus on Go.Play, and get his business partner to outline its position, as this will make Villains strategy clearer. He can compare what he wants Villains to stand for with Go.Play, and eliminate any of the things that do not match.

Until these simple business principles are present in both companies, will a brand began to take shape. Without a clear direction or purpose, a company cannot begin to form close relationships with customers, as customers simply do not know where they stand. The highly informed consumer, needs a real reason to buy your product rather than another, and if you do not give them one, you have no chance of developing into a real global/power brand.

We never actually got to the day-to-day marketing of Villains, but its clear that to be able to effectively perform any brand related marketing, he first needs to have core principles in place.

That’s all for now I think! There will be more regards this business start-up as it really is an exciting proposition being led by an inspiring individual. And I can assure you, he will be successful, so long as he begins to think just as much inside the box as he currently does outside of it. I think the next time you’ll hear about Villains will be when we actually meet and discuss his marketing strategy, and I, like you, cannot wait!

James