I think Coca Cola, you think Nike

Hey there,

Hope you all are doing fabulous and are ready for a dose of the unpredictable newsletter.

We are already 3 weeks into the second quarter of 2023.

Time flies. And with it a ton of lost opportunities.

Whoever said you should always look ahead and not worry about what’s done, did not account for the fact that a slight worry adds urgency to our tasks.

Urgency is much needed in a generation that clearly chooses Netflix over sleep and is addicted to quick dopamine hits.

Before we jump onto this week’s topic, here is a quiz for you:

Coming to the subject of today’s newsletter. Could you guess it?

You don’t need to be Einstein to know that I am talking about branding.

Startup founders often want quick results from their marketing efforts.

They would like to launch the new brand, make an entire perception shift in the minds of the consumer, and start raking in revenue immediately.

Tell me one thing: In a market that is literally a red ocean with competition and billions of brand, it doesn’t matter how clever your logo and name is, if the product and supporting marketing content is weak, no one can save you from being eaten by another shark.

Don’t shoot the marketer…erm…messenger.

How many brands actually have brand guidelines in place?

How many creators/freelancers actually ask for it from the client when creating branded content?

Branded content does not mean the same template, with the same background, and logo placement only.

For people who are acquainted with DigiWitch know you can go completely crazy with your creatives, and still leave a bold enough mark on people’s minds.

I often get DMs on my IG and LinkedIn posts on how they loved my designs. I am not a designer, but I create them based on how I am feeling it. It comes from my heart.

The idea is to go branded but also do something fun.

Expecting out-of-the-world results by doing something cliche that you’ve been doing for years is just undermining your audience.

They have evolved, but your technique of marketing to them has not.

Do you think the predictable catches eyeballs anymore? No, it does not.

Think different. Branded content, yes. Boring content, no!

Founders often lack the time and inspiration to put their minds to this, and that’s why we marketers exist.

But as marketers, we need to help them understand that it is no more enough to show up, you need to wow them.

We have been seeing a lot of selfie/picture posts doing the rounds on LinkedIn and Twitter now. Why do you think?

It’s because people respond to visuals. They stop and look.

I have seen people take screenshots of videos pointing out specific timestamps. That’s the kind of attention visuals demand.

Social media platforms know this. That’s why they are tuning their algorithms to give a push to content with multimedia.

By being yourself. By imbibing the brand and letting it speak through you as a person.

Not easy, but something worth practicing.

Dare to do something different.

Don’t copy-paste a campaign just because it worked for someone else.

It’s fine to react to them as the bigger brands do on Twitter, but copying a trend every time dilutes your own brand.

Think different. Do different.

Take the chance. And remember inciting fear, anger, and anxiety might be good ways to garner engagement, but know what the association with these emotions does to your brand in the long run.

Think long-term.

That’s it for this issue of DigiWitch Potions.

Now for the Martech SaaS Tools as promised

An SEO Book That’s Written for a 5-year-old

Keep an eye out for new marketing resources in the shop on promanautiyal.com

Like the newsletter? Would love it if you would share it on your socials and with your marketer and founder friends!

Till I see you next, I hope you get a lot done, and stay focused and productive without losing peace of mind (too much of it).

Cheers,

Answer to Quiz: Apple