Finding the Marketing Potential in Your Brand

In today's world, where we are bombarded with advertisements almost everywhere we go, it's difficult for a brand to really stand out. Those that master it are typically the most successful. If you think of any product, the ones that have reached the status of becoming a household name are the ones that differentiate themselves from other, comparable products. Each offers a clear and simple explanation about what their product is, who needs it and why it's the best.

Whether it's a product brand or your own personal brand, the key to marketing is to create a short pitch that easily explains why anyone should care. When you're selling yourself, giving your brand that special something can open doors and help you stand out.

An article at Fast Company discussed this branding style in relation to increasing sales. One of the best examples they used was the Sex Panther cologne that's featured in the super-funny movie “Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy”. If you haven't seen the movie, there is a character who often talks about how he uses a special cologne called Sex Panther. He says that the cologne helps attract women because it contains bits of real panther, and that almost 60 percent of the time, it works every time. (A statistic that clearly doesn't make sense.)

The pitch is simple and funny, but it demonstrates the key point in building a marketing strategy that really works. When creating a pitch, you should cover the following:

• Who the product is for,

• Why they need it,

• The product's name,

• What it is,

• What benefits it provides, and

• How it works.

In the case of the cologne, Sex Panther cologne is for men who want to attract women. It contains bits of real panther and 60 percent of the time, it works every time. This type of marketing pitch can be used when you're trying to stand out and sell yourself to an employer. In order to create your brand pitch, here are a few things to think about:

• What makes you different? - No matter what industry you're in or how much experience you have, there is something that makes you different. What is your unique voice? What makes you different from the next applicant? Once you know what it is, be sure to include it in your marketing strategy.
   
• What do others offer? - Browse through profiles on professional networking sites like LinkedIn to find out what other people in your field are doing. What do they offer? How much experience do they have compared to you? How are they marketing themselves? This research will give you some insight into what the competition is doing and help you define where you can stand out.
   
• What do companies need? - Research the companies you want to work for in order to find out what their needs are. What are they looking for? What challenges are they facing and what issues will they be dealing with in the near future? Knowing this will make it easier for you to target your strategy to the specific company and clearly demonstrate what you have to offer and how you can make a difference.

Self promotion and self marketing can be a challenge, but the key is to figure out what you have to offer and demonstrate why you're worth hiring. Your pitch might feel uncomfortable at first, but practice it several times with friends until it becomes natural.

Do you have a personal brand? What do you consider when creating your marketing pitch? Please share your thoughts in the comments.

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