Your vocal critics are a gift
When people don’t like your brand, they aren’t always quiet about it. And that, my friend, is a gift wrapped in barbed wire.
Your critics? They’re offering free focus group feedback. They’re telling you exactly what you need to do to win them over. Sure, they may not say it in the nicest way—maybe it stings a little. But beneath their ranting lies truth.
Instead of running from criticism or pretending it doesn’t exist, brands should lean into it. Listen to what your critics are saying. Often, they point out your weaknesses with the precision of a laser pointer. Fix those weaknesses, and they might just become your most vocal advocates.
The liability you can flip
One person’s trash is another person’s treasure. What may seem like a brand liability—something people actively dislike—could be spun into a gold mine of opportunity if positioned correctly.
Let’s say there’s an aspect of your brand that people find off-putting or irrelevant. Maybe it doesn’t resonate with your current target audience—but have you considered a different audience? One that’s craving exactly what you offer?
Sometimes the problem isn’t that your brand is “wrong,” it’s just pitched to the wrong crowd. The magic happens when you realize that what one group dismisses, another might worship. The trick is to identify that treasure and market it to the right people.
Is your best kept secret … still a secret?
Sometimes, people don’t like your brand because they simply don’t know the best thing about it. Maybe you’re offering something incredible, but your messaging hasn’t communicated it effectively. It’s like having the best party in town, but nobody got the invite.
If there’s a feature, benefit, or differentiator that people have overlooked, it’s your job to scream it from the rooftops. Often, what’s missing isn’t the innovation—it’s the communication of it. Don’t let your brand’s best assets collect dust. Show them off. You might be surprised how quickly people change their minds once they see the full picture.
Define what you stand for
In today’s world, brands trying to be “everything to everyone” quickly become invisible. What does your brand stand for? Don’t be afraid to turn off certain audiences. When you stand for something specific, the people who resonate with that message will really resonate.
You don’t need to be everyone’s cup of tea—you need to be some people’s shot of whiskey. When your audience feels understood, they become your biggest evangelists.
Stop doing the same thing
Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, expecting different results. Well, advertising insanity is running the same tired campaigns and wondering why sales aren’t changing.