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Outside the window, the street is quiet and dark. Bits of leftover snow glitter under the streetlights.
Inside, my son says the blessings and puts the candle to the oil wick. It catches on, flares, and falls to a steady flame.
The post-lighting prayer morphs into spirited singing and dancing. A few silly antics. And several rounds of dreidel.
It’s a familiar scene.
And all over the world, similar scenes are taking place. As they have been for thousands of years.
Families bonding over traditions.
The world has changed a lot in the last century, and even more so in the last twenty years. Many parts of lives would be completely unrecognizable to your great-great-grandparents.
But at the core? Nothing’s changed. And I predict that this won’t change in twenty years either.
How do I know? Because if you teleport that great-great-grandfather into your dining room, to your holiday get together, and they will know exactly what’s going on.
It’s family or friends, celebrating a special moment together. Connecting with each other, reminiscing over the past and making fresh memories.
This is how we were created. Wherever we go, whatever we do, we’re always looking for connection. For belonging. To be part of a group.
And that understanding should be the foundation on which you build your marketing infrastructure.
Does that mean that every ad needs to be a deep, meaningful ad about making connections? Of course not. There’s a place for a simple salesales ad or for a new product announcement.
But the overall marketing strategy, if you want it to work well in the long-term, must be based on building a connection with your audience. On turning your brand into the focal point of some kind of community or group.
Let’s say you sell practical but pretty kids' clothing. Figure out how you can become a focal point for busy moms. What are their biggest challenges? What do they identify with? What makes them smile?
Work that into your overall strategy. Make it a thread that runs through everything your brand puts out.
For example, maybe these busy moms are worried that they don’t spend enough time with their children.
You could then build a brand around the idea of maximizing all the small moments with your children.
- Each email could include a tip on turning everyday events into moments of connection.
- You could collaborate with parenting experts.
- You could run pop-up events with fun activities for moms to do with their kids.
Get the picture? Instead of focusing on the obvious angle - the clothing is practical and will make your life easier - I went deeper. I thought of a way to build a community around the deeper desires of the target audience. And this will allow the brand to become the focal point of a community of busy women.
Need help making your brand the focal point? It’s what I do.