In all the brand strategy work we do for our clients, we ask one question that has the most impact and provides the best insights for brand positioning and creative communication. It’s a carefully crafted question that encourages business owners and Brand Managers to shift from a company-centric mindset to a customer-centric one. The question asks you to view things from the customer’s perspective. This often proves more challenging than expected because, in the day-to-day running of the business, it’s easy to lose sight of what truly matters to your customers.

The question we ask is:

“If I am your ideal customer, why would I choose your business over your competitors?”

 

Here’s how it breaks down:

• “If I am” is where you shift from your world to your customer’s reality.
• “Ideal Customer” prompts you to define your target audience. Not everyone is your ideal customer.
• “Why would I choose you” is an excellent springboard for identifying why your offering is superior.
• Understanding your competitive alternatives is crucial because it provides context to your reasons and helps you focus on your strengths.

The real challenge is answering the question in a way that resonates with your ideal customers. One thing we often see when clients develop new products or services is focusing on the features of what they are selling, e.g. ingredients. This makes sense because these are the details they focus on during product development. However, what customers care about is the solution the product provides.

Take Poppi Soda, for instance. It’s a US-based brand that became the number one soda sold on Amazon within just four years. One of their key strategies was rebranding from “Mother’s Prebiotic Soda,” which emphasised unique ingredients, to simply “Poppi Soda,” focusing on flavour and the taste experience. Their tagline, “It’s time to fall in love with soda again,” resonated with customers, and the results were impressive.

We recently did something similar with the iconic Nelson ice cream brand, Appleby Farms. Historically, the focus was on the ingredients and the origin story. New positioning shifted the focus to the taste and emotional experience. This translated to a new pack design featuring a swirl pattern and strong flavour cues that combined to imply nostalgia and highlight its incredible taste, ultimately what customers care about the most.

If you are looking for a lift in sales and more effective marketing, it could be time to start asking different questions, like the one above.