What is the definition of success?

So, what is the definition of success for a brand like yours? As we all know, success is an extremely subjective term -- it’s broad, ever-changing and has so much depth that it gets heavy. Sometimes we wish success was simply defined, but for now, we will continue to embrace a nimble definition that changes across clients, industries, and for the world we now live in, digital platforms. We can no longer deny that our digital presence has a big impact on our overall success. This is precisely where we step in.

At LEO + LAINE, our business acumen may be traditional, but the way we communicate and navigate our client relationships is not-so-ordinary. We opt for ease in our relationships and choose fun, transparent communications, mixed with some killer digital strategy. We may seem laid-back -- and sometimes unfiltered -- but don’t get us wrong, we mean serious business. Your success is our success and we live by this.

Our goal is to assist our clients in a way that lets them focus on the lifeblood of their business. As an extension to your existing team, we work to develop, implement and manage a digital brand strategy, and we try to do it as seamlessly as possible. To help you be successful, we hone in on your brand identity and amplify your presence based on these five factors:

1. Brand delivery & experience:

How does a brand make you feel? Yes, this can be a very ambiguous term and we all know a good brand makes you feel some kind of way, but how do brands get to that point? It starts with first impressions and ends with the whole experience. Is the content on your Instagram relatable to your target audience? And yes, you 100 percent need an established target audience. Did you give great thought to the detail when developing your print and digital marketing materials? While attention to detail doesn’t matter to everyone, it is a slow under current that ties a brand together from a marketing and content perspective. It’s not a hill to die on, but the thought and expense you put into a brand creates a standard and consumers now expect a certain level of standard for the brands they are loyal to. If you are doing it right, the consumer doesn’t feel overly targeted, but the brand experience should hit their core and provoke emotion that intrigues or entertains them.

2. People first:

Put people first, then the product. While this seems counterintuitive because you’re trying to sell a product, we find that our most engaged client audiences tend to be those of clients who let their audience behind the curtain. People are nosey. Curiosity is an innate trait in the human race. Only so much can be said about a product, but showcasing the people behind the brand and their personal experiences is much more alluring. For start-up companies and young brands, their audiences are heavily made up of close friends and family (BTW, Leo + Laine can change that), so obviously personal stories are going to be relatable, but once a brand starts to gain popularity, their followers don’t know them on a personal level. For this audience segment, the stories that perform the best chronicle the expertise, the brand-building process, and the journey from the people behind the brand. We help our clients stick out in the sea of Instagram by personalizing our client storytelling and adding a level of depth that may not come across in just product posting.

3. Loyalty, loyalty, loyalty:

Spawn a series of fortunate events. You want people to be loyal to your brand, and on the flipside, you should be loyal to your followers as well. Are you listening to them? Are you creating opportunities for them to engage and in turn, are you conversing with them? A brand must have a human feel, most notably online, and establish a personal connection. This is when the magic happens and to us, the magic is brand loyalty. So while you’re developing new products, creating original content and scheming your next business move, do not forget to engage with your fan base along the way. Be inclusive and make your followers feel exclusive. This will hatch a series of brand-benefiting acts from your followers, such as bringing you up in a relevant social conversation or recommending your brand off-the-cuff. Afterall, we believe brand success can’t get much better than word of mouth recommendations.

4. Seasonal interests:

Are you appealing to stages of life or demographic passions? As noted above, it’s extremely valuable to any brand to define a target audience because it construes a clear path to brand aesthetics, messaging and overall goals. You may know that your brand may not be everything to everyone, but what you may not know is that part-time loyalty is OK for certain businesses. How does your brand apply to a seasonal interest? For example, is your brand for first-time mothers? Or, does your product target twenty-something males looking to socialize? With these two examples in mind, it’s clear the output from these brands need to be different (i.e., nurturing and soft vs. masculine and fun). We help clients funnel all of their marketing materials and content to reflect the audience you want to target. We know people seek connection and are more likely to follow a brand that’s relatable to a current seasonal interest, not just a broad demographic segment.

5. Content pillars:

Storytelling in an organized fashion. Our clients have a lot to say and we love it! However, if you say too much or say it in an unorganized fashion, it may derail your marketing plans and dissuade your fans from following along. Storytelling transcends across all brands and platforms, and the best way to storytell according to your brand is to establish a handful of content pillars from the start. Each and every post you make on social media must fall within these content pillars. While it may seem restricting to start, it simplifies the message to your audience and tells a concise story for your brand. It underscores your brand aesthetic and establishes a tone of voice.

Each of these factors may be calibrated per client based on their own goals, but as experienced marketers, we stand by these five components. If you need help honing your online reputation or amping up your digital presence, we’d love to connect!

Cheers,

LEO + LAINE