4 Marketing lessons from big brands
McDonald's: Know what your strengths are
A good marketing strategy will take advantage of the company's differentiating advantages. Frankly, McDonald's is well aware that its cuisine is not particularly delicious, worthy of a 5-star rating, or the healthiest option. This is why their marketing strategy never competes on food quality. Instead, they focus their marketing on their core competencies: familiarity, convenience, affordability, and fun.
What if McDonalds focused their marketing on the health aspect or quality of their food? Even though they have healthy menu items available, they don't market the brand as such. It's a marketing war they will simply never win. They identified their advantages and focused their marketing efforts on those assets instead of trying to be everything to everyone.
“You shouldn't be afraid to apply Marketing lessons from a big brand, but always remember to spice things up a bit and offer something unique that speaks to your brand.”
Nike: Selling touching stories instead of great products
Nike can also teach us a lot about valuable Marketing lessons .
Marketing is about storytelling, not just selling products. Nike is a master of this art, with its marketing efforts rooted in sharing stories about its core values. They not only aim to promote products but also tell stories that reflect the brand's values and purpose, evoking a specific emotion in the process.
Michael Jordan’s “Failure” ad for Nike is a prime example of insightful storytelling marketing, inspiring viewers through a message that uses failure as a stepping stone to success. The ad highlighted Michael Jordan's struggles throughout his basketball career and how he used those failures to achieve success.
No matter what industry you're in, you always have the opportunity to spark your customers' imaginations and connect with them on an emotional level. Achieving this requires a story that touches the customer's emotions. That brand story can start with why you started the business or what purpose motivated you to launch it.
For example, Nike's purpose is to inspire and innovate every athlete in the world. This mission is the foundation of all their marketing efforts, from Instagram stories to events and advertising. By telling a consistent story across all channels, Nike realized their mission and connected with customers in a meaningful way.
This is one of the most effective tactics that has significantly enhanced the brand image and has now become the company's signature marketing strategy.
Apple – Let your customers advertise for you
Have you ever noticed that Apple barely uses social media? In this era, when half of the world's population actively uses social networks, it seems strange for a high-tech company to avoid such powerful marketing mediums, right? The truth is that Apple doesn't need it.
They let customers spread the news themselves. Try typing #apple on Facebook right now and you'll see tons of user-generated Apple ads appearing on your timeline.
The Marketing lesson here is that Apple cares about customer experience, thereby making buyers satisfied. And when they are satisfied, they will always talk about the product on social networks, so Apple ends up appearing through such means.
Customers are the best source of brand endorsement. People trust testimonials more and are more likely to buy a product based on a friend's recommendation. Take advantage of customer testimonials to enhance your brand reputation. You can offer a free product or give an attached gift, increase the quantity of the product but the price stays the same... no matter which method you choose, make sure it satisfies buyers enough for them to recommend your product.
Starbucks – Socially conscious and supports environmental causes
If you are a fan of this brand, you will easily notice that Starbucks' social network is always filled with content that promotes ethical values. They source their ingredients openly and only buy coffee, tea, cocoa and other goods from farms and producers that adhere to certain ethical standards.
Starbucks also calls the planet its “most important business partner” and undertakes a series of activities to reduce its environmental impact such as recycling cups, conserving water and energy while pursuing strategies to address climate change at the global level. Overall, Starbucks strives to be as environmentally friendly as possible in every aspect of their operations.
This marketing strategy works very well because it drives a group of environmentally conscious customers to the stores who will not mind high prices if they feel they are contributing to society. Many studies show that 93% of consumers have a more positive image of that company when companies support social or environmental issues. Starbucks' strategy and the results obtained are proof positive of that research.
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