Modern consumers are fickle. They thrive on excitement and binge on the latest market trends or propositions. Considering the nature of modern consumers, if a product brand stays quiet for longer than necessary, it soon loses mindshare and appeal. It is likely to be pushed into the abyss of irrelevance, dumped in the relics of thoughts.
Well, you can’t blame the consumers. The marketplace has become noisy. Social media, mostly called ‘SoMe’ by the trendy folks, continues to foster addiction to trends. X trends, Facebook reels, TikTok videos, influencer posts across platforms and PR news are having a dope-like impact on consumer consciousness.
Consumers now wake up hoping to be excited by the latest brand gigs, product launches, product feature updates, functional overhaul, latest promos, discounted purchase, new ambassador signing, an upcoming webinar, a new partnership, among others. The news socials are bursting with trends. Radios are booming with hypes. TVs are filled with paid announcements or ads. Purchase preference and brand connection are shifting to who is making the most sensible noise. It isn’t alarming. It is a trend.
Every brand must learn to put itself forward. Like they say, ‘out of sight is out of mind’. You don’t want to be dumped from market consciousness, do you?
It is even more important than ever now to put your brand forward, owing to the endless market entries, retail shelf reshuffling, noisy web baiting everyone to click, and consistently shifting investors’ sentiment.
I hope your product brand isn’t being elbowed out of consumer consciousness. Just hoping the orders are pouring in as usual and the stores are bursting. Even when everything seems to be going well, you can’t rest on your laurels. You must maintain a vibe that keeps the trend-seeking competition at bay.
Here are a few ways you canmaintain relevance in the modern marketplace despite the noise:
- Share milestone – If launching a new product proves too expensive, at least you have milestones. Every business does. The 5 billionth sales, the 10th anniversary, the 1 millionth app download and landmark achievements here and there within your organisation and from third parties are materials for crafting good news and creating talkability. Chow Deck, a food delivery business,does remarkably well at that. It would tell you about its N30 billion delivery mark and other accomplishments that many businesses would ordinarily ignore. These milestones signal to consumers that the business is alive and doing well. The news registers in the consumer subconscious. The next time you have a food order, think about who you would call. The firm even gets a free PR from this writing. That is the power of sharing good news about your business.
- Commission reviews – Reviews are tools for shaping consumer perception. They are also a strong social proof because they are written by professional analysts whose industry pedigree carries weight. Everyone listens to professionals. So, reviews influence purchasing decisions. I remember someone who started searching the web for reviews on cars to make a final decision on which car brand to purchase. Reviews can also improve search engine ranking. Commissioning a brand review for your product once a month or two can keep the searchlight on your business.
- Become a thought leader – Providing opinions about industry direction can keep your brand in the news. Jump on trends about product features, market trends or policy drives. But stay positive. Turn your opinions into an op-ed in leading media, summarise them as a press release and social media posts. It is fine to do write-ups on LinkedIn. However, you may just be appealing to a narrow platform audience. Branch out widely and let your voice find expression across media.
- Maintain constant product improvement – Ensure you are constantly working on improving taste, packaging, channel availability and function of your products. Bring them alive by rolling out the drums on SoMe and traditional media. The buzz generated will refresh your brand position in the consumer consciousness.
More, add to the above strategies promo/ discount purchase announcements,webinars, etc. For whatever it is worth, always have good news for the market. You will be glad you did.
