While the power of branding might be most noticeable for the likes of McDonald’s and Apple, it isn’t exclusive to giants. Every company in every industry has a brand. It’s just a matter of whether your branding resonates with your target audience—or whether it helps drive people to your sales funnel.
But what if your business is in a “boring” industry? You don’t sell appetizing fast food nor sleek gadgets. Rather, you offer industrial pipes, antiperspirants, waste collection services, or technical software. Don’t get discouraged. Branding is more than a logo, color palette, or tagline. It is more about telling a story. You can work with a brand-consulting company to nail that story. But for starters, learn from these brands:
Old Spice
Antiperspirants might not be the sexiest product to sell. But that has never stopped Old Spice from producing creative campaigns that display the product as a swagger addition to your life rather than a shameful self-care item. Their commercials are much-loved for a great mix of sophistication and humor.
Old Spice was first packaged as a brand that targets older gentlemen. But as years go by, it has changed the conversation and added a bit of spice into its branding to target the younger demographic. That’s their secret—changing the conversation when it matters. You can apply that to your “boring” brand, too.
Thinx
When they launch TV commercials, print ads, or social media campaigns, most sanitary pad and tampon brands often shy away from talking about the menstruation itself. They would use all the available euphemisms for a menstrual period, such as “red days,” “Aunt Flo,” “code red,” and “time of the month.” And they would rather focus on telling stories on how to keep your lifestyle active or day productive when you have your period—as if getting menstruation is still a huge taboo in the 21st century.
Thinx, a revolutionary brand that offers period-proof panties, steer clear from that usual narrative to end the taboo around the menstrual period. Its branding focuses on the unashamed, unapologetic, and bold exploration of all things related to menstruation and sexuality. Its blog called “Periodical” regularly shares articles that empower women to understand and own their bodies however they want to. This goes to show that being bold and honest about your “dull” product can even give your brand an edge.
Lucidworks
Lucidworks is a tech company that offers data discovery software that helps companies dig into their data. It helps businesses identify customer insights or even detect fraud through data collection. This sounds beneficial for any business but talking about data and insights can be intimidating and even alienating.
Lucidworks recognizes the challenge of translating their mission into engaging brand storytelling. Instead of spewing big words and figures, this brand takes a smart approach by creating content that educates potential customers in exciting ways. One good example is its “The Data That Lies Beneath” campaign. This campaign produced interesting infographics and other visuals, presenting dark data in a more interesting package than boring, one-dimensional pamphlets.
Take a page from Lucidworks if you’re selling highly technical products or solutions. You don’t always need to pitch one fact after another in traditional ways. Explore exciting ways to educate your audience.
With these three brands, you now have a better idea of telling the brand story of your “boring” products. At the end of the day, like how David Ogilvy said, “There are no dull products, only dull writers.”
