UKinbound member Growth Animals Marketing is a marketing agency that specialises in ethical marketing strategy, branding and communications for leisure and tourism companies. In this guest blog, Jen Bayford, Co-founder of Growth Animals Marketing shares some insights on how to create marketing campaigns that deeply connect with your audience.
With so much choice, competition and noise in the market, marketers face the challenge of not just reaching their audience, but making a genuine connection. To truly resonate with your target market, you must understand their tensions, needs, and aspirations. This strategic approach can transform your brand from just another name in the crowd to a trusted and loved choice.
Understanding Your Audience
To build a strong bond with your audience, start by tapping into what truly matters to them. Identify their pain points, hopes, and dreams. By addressing these elements, your marketing messages will not only reach your audience but also impact them on a personal level.
Building Connection Through Empathy
When you craft campaigns that acknowledge and offer solutions to your audience’s challenges, you make them feel understood and valued. This fosters trust and loyalty, essential components of a strong brand. Here are two examples of brands that excel at this approach:
1. Pedigree Chum – Bridging Emotional Gaps
Pedigree Chum, a renowned dog food brand, recognised the emotional void experienced by empty nesters – parents whose children have left home. They positioned their product as a way for these individuals to pour their love and care into their pets, filling the emotional gap with the joy of caring for a dog. This strategic move not only promoted their product but also resonated deeply with their target demographic. By understanding and addressing the emotional needs of empty nesters, Pedigree Chum strengthened its brand image as understanding and supportive.
2. Global Karting League – Making Motorsport Accessible
Formerly known as Total Karting Zero, the Global Karting League is revolutionising the motorsport industry. Spearheaded by high-profile F1 engineer Rob Smedley, the brand addresses the industry’s elitism, exclusivity, and environmental impact. Traditional petrol motorsport is expensive and inaccessible, leading to a lack of diversity in driving talent. To solve this, the Global Karting League uses electric karts, engineered to be precisely equal. This innovation removes the need for racers to own and maintain their karts, making the sport 20 times cheaper than traditional petrol karting.
The brand also creates strategic partnerships with science and technology organisations and events, most notably with Idris Elba’s Speed Academy.Idris Elba, a passionate advocate for inclusion and diversity, partnered with Rob Smedley to launch the Speed Academy powered by Total Karting Zero. The academy’s purpose is to find, nurture, and develop future racing talent from underrepresented communities, addressing the challenges of inaccessibility and elitism in motorsport.
Applying These Lessons to Your Brand
As you reflect on these examples, consider what your customers’ biggest tensions might be. Jot down the common themes and challenges they face. How can your brand offer solutions that not only meet their needs but also make them feel understood and valued? By thinking strategically and empathetically, you can craft powerful campaigns that build strong, lasting connections with your audience. Remember, the key to successful marketing is not just about selling a product or service but about connecting with your audience on a deeper level. By addressing their tensions, needs, and aspirations, you can create a brand that resonates and inspires loyalty.
Click here to find out more about Growth Animals Marketing.