Marketing your brand can feel like a daunting task, especially when you’re a small business or charity managing it in-house. But what if I told you that it’s a lot like selling ice cream? By thinking of your brand as a delicious scoop of ice cream, you can add freshness to your marketing and stir in some extra impact. Let’s make marketing your organisation as enjoyable as eating your favourite flavour combo on a hot summer day. Here’s how:
- Choose Your Flavours (Define Your Brand Identity) Just as an ice cream parlour offers a variety of flavours to cater to different tastes, your brand needs to define its identity to appeal to your target audience. Are you the rich, indulgent chocolate, the refreshing mint, or the playful bubblegum? Your brand’s flavour should reflect your core values, mission, and the unique qualities that set you apart. Consistency in your branding — be it your logo, colours, or messaging— will ensure that customers recognise and connect with your ‘flavour’ instantly.
- Know Your Customers’ Tastes (Understand Your Audience) Not everyone loves the same ice cream flavour, and not every customer will connect with your brand in the same way. It’s crucial to understand the preferences, needs, and behaviours of your audience. Are they looking for a premium, luxurious experience, or something more budget-friendly and accessible? By conducting market research and gathering feedback, you can tailor your offerings to suit their tastes, ensuring that your brand satisfies their cravings.
- Create the Perfect Sundae (Develop a Strong Value Proposition) A simple scoop of ice cream is great, but a sundae with all the toppings? That’s irresistible! Similarly, your brand should offer a compelling value proposition that goes beyond just the basics. Showcasing what you do and how you do it is a great way to demonstrate ‘toppings’ beyond the standard product or service offering, and it is worthwhile thinking about what can you add to your current ‘menu’ (easy for you but high value for the customer) to make your product or service stand out. Whether it’s exceptional customer service, social responsibility, green credentials, unique or value-added product features, these ‘toppings’ can turn a good brand into a must-have.
- Offer Taster Sessions (Promote with Freebies and Trials) Ice cream shops often entice customers with free samples, giving them a taste of what’s to come. Your brand can do the same through promotions, free trials, limited-time specials or by offering insight, tips and expertise in ‘how to’ guides and blogs. For charities, this might involve inviting potential donors to small events or sharing impactful stories that showcase your work. These tasters/ product or service samples help potential customers or supporters experience your brand before fully committing, increasing the likelihood of take up and loyalty.
- Serve with a Smile (Deliver Exceptional Customer Service) No one wants to buy ice cream from a grumpy server, no matter how delicious it is. The same goes for your brand — exceptional customer service is key to creating a positive experience. Whether it’s a prompt response to queries, reviews and feedback, going the extra mile to solve a problem, or simply being friendly and approachable, your interactions with customers should leave them feeling satisfied and eager to return.
- Scoop Out Regularly (Consistent Content Creation) Just as an ice cream parlour needs to regularly scoop out fresh servings to keep customers happy, your brand needs to produce consistent content to stay relevant. Whether it’s blog posts, social media updates, newsletters, or events, regularly engaging with your audience ensures that your brand remains top of mind. For charities, this could mean sharing success stories, updates on projects, or calls to action for donations and support.
- Get Creative with Your Mix-Ins (Innovate and Adapt) Ice cream isn’t just about vanilla and chocolate — mix-ins like cookie dough, caramel swirls, or fruit syrups add excitement and variety. Your brand should also innovate and adapt to stay fresh and appealing. This could mean experimenting with new marketing strategies, launching fresh products, or finding creative ways to engage your audience. Don’t be afraid to mix things up and try something new, it could be the twist that really resonates with existing and potential customers – just make sure to monitor stats so you can assess what works and what needs some additional sprinkles.
Marketing your brand doesn’t have to be an overwhelming task. By thinking of it as an ice cream business, you can break down the process into manageable, enjoyable steps. Whether you’re a small business or charity, using these top tips will help you create attractive and engaging marketing assets that are as appealing as everyone’s favourite treat, leaving your customers and supporters coming back for more.
As Ben & Jerry’s once said, “If it’s not fun, why do it?” Embrace the creativity and joy that marketing your brand can bring, and you’ll see the sweet rewards.
If you need some help with this or any other aspect of your marketing, please do get in touch.