Andrew
Cresencia Marjorie Chiremba
“The time your game is most vulnerable is when you’re ahead. Never let up” – Rod Laver
The people that you surround yourself determine the strength of the impression you have or you will have towards potential customers, other business owners and various stakeholders.
2022 is around the corner, and companies are busy plotting their new year strategies for the year ahead.
Some are even doing these strategic meetings at resort places, which are very far away from the madding crowd.
The possibility of new competition is inevitable, and old players know very well that if they sleep on duty, they will surely be kicked out of business.
Globalisation and technology have placed competition in the business world at an all-time high, while trust is moving in the opposite direction.
In their quest to scream the loudest and be noticed, brands and business often forgot to do certain marketing efforts that will propel their brands to greater heights. The noise in the marketplace makes some brands fail to recognise how to manoeuvre their way, they do not even know where to start and stand out.
Business today requires organisations to have a heavy online presence and collect all the money on the table. Customers are more likely to buy brands that they know and brands that are marketed in their faces are easily accepted.
With competition levels at breakneck, organisations are making sure that their brands are the ones that are most known, liked, trusted, remembered and subsequently the ultimate choice when customers make buying decisions.
Here are a few tips on how you can rise above the competition.
1) Personal Brand Development: The owner of the organisation is the primary face of the brand. For instance, if one thinks of Nyaradzo Group, Mr Philip Mataranyika comes to mind, for Econet its Mr Strive Masiyiwa, and Croco Motors its Mr Moses Chingwena. What do these personalities have in common? They are well-known public figures that have managed to build their personal brands through an active pursuance of activities that positively build their public image. They have managed to connect their businesses to their personal brands simply by creating a personalised, human link. These people have managed to build their names and presence over the years that they have been in business, and in the process connecting their personal brands with the organisations that they have founded. In Europe personalities like Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, Bill Gates have used their personal brands to back up their businesses. Also, with most businesses trying to incorporate the youth movement also known as millennials, the owners are using social media to build their personal brands, while creating more demand for their brands. The youths feel connected with the brands and can actually have one-on-one conversations with them. One thing for sure is people buy from people. Organisations must therefore actively build their brands on both social media and social circles. Embark on activities that will put your personal brand on the map and when people recognise you, they will want to know more thereby roping in your business interests.
2) Your Network is your Net Worth: According to Brad Lea “the more hands you shake the more money you make”. Business people should not shy away from meeting a lot of people, because these are the very same people who will know your line of business, talk about it and share it with other potential customers in their network. When people know you at that level, they can easily refer business and you end up being the winner. Remember, having good relationships in our social lives is very important, so is the same with business relationships. Organisations must build relationships with both their target audience as well as other business owners in different industry sectors.
3) Be Available: The law of familiarity applies mostly in saturated markets. The more people see you, the more they will trust you and eventually do business with you. In markets that have many players, competition also tends to be fierce, and one of the ways that organisations that are market challengers use is availability. Serious organisations fighting to get the attention of the market must be omnipresent. They must be seen everywhere. Companies must be omnipresent on all marketing platforms available to its target and potential market and these include social media platforms, print media, television, podcasts, radio, websites etc. The idea is any direction an existing or potential customer looks the brand should be clearly visible and be seen. Some may call it aggressive marketing, but this if done properly creates a connection between brands and the community.
***Cresencia Marjorie Chiremba is a marketing enthusiast with a strong passion for customer service. For comments, suggestions and training, she can be reached on [email protected] or on 0712 979 461
Online Reporter