Your brand strategy isn't resonating with a key demographic. How can you pivot to reconnect with them?

There can be three reasons that you find yourself in this situation: 1) You haven't done the insights work correctly at first place. 2) You've done the insights work but the strategy and brand plan has a problem 3) Something major happened in that key demographic over time and you couldn't follow that trend or the change.

Brands are built off customers and community these days. And with that means there's no one plan that immediately works. Change your approach from planning to experimenting. Listen to your people and keep iterating your brand. Focus on 2 ICP's and study them down to their fears, desires, mores, beliefs etc. Refine your messaging down to one piece of value to one customer. Eliminate all other fluff. Double down on one area you will be known for the best at. Own that. And build messaging frameworks behind what that one piece of value looks like. Rather deeply resonate and be the expert to 100 people than the average Joe to 1000 people.

In complex brands that are serving conflicting demographics, it's often hard to please everyone. Once you feel a certain one of these demographics slip away - the best is to bring back emphasis on your key intention as a brand. This can help them relate more.

You can resonate with your brand when you can understand the pulse of the people. That can be possible only when you pay your heed on " Brand Community ". - It doesn't matter that whether your company or brand is large or small it does matter how your brand is ' Consciousness of kind '. Hence Connect with them and strike the balance. - Customer Value System : Helps to develop marketing strategies to acquire and retain customer and drive customer behaviour. - Social Media Strategy: By SEM and various advertising connect your brand's information and Consumer - Setting your brand Apart : Develop unique selling propositions ( USPs) that make your brand stand out. -Native Advertising: Native advertising blends your content and consumer idyllic.

To pivot effectively, first understand where the disconnect lies. Dive into the data on the key demographic that's slipping away, examining their behaviors, preferences, and feedback. This isn't just about sales figures; it's about gaining deep insights into their experience with your brand. Understand their values, preferred communication channels, and pain points. Sometimes, the issue might be as simple as a messaging misalignment or as complex as a product feature not meeting their needs. For example, Spotify used user data to understand why certain demographics weren't engaging and adjusted their recommendations and interface accordingly, improving user satisfaction and retention.

If your messaging isn't resonating with your audience - change it! This doesn't mean changing what your brand is or its values, but rather find a way to connect with your target audience so that they become interested in what you have to say. Some people want a clear and quick message, some like a good story, some enjoy hard facts, others want to hear about the journey. Test, test, test.

Often when we hyper adjust a brand to one demographic, we lose out on the others. This is why its crucial to bring out messaging that everyone resonates with. In India, brands usually use a parental tone to gain resonance with almost everyone

Once you've pinpointed the reasons behind the dissonance, refine your messaging. Ensure your brand's voice resonates with the key demographic's values and speaks directly to their needs. Adjust your tone, language, and the platforms on which you communicate if necessary. Authenticity is key; your audience can sense when a brand isn't being true to itself or them. Tailor your message, but stay true to your brand's core identity. For example, Dove successfully updated its messaging to emphasize real beauty and body positivity, resonating with a broader audience while staying true to its core values of self-esteem and authenticity.

Pivot Your Strategy: Start by pinpointing the reasons for the disconnect. Understand the demographic’s values, needs, and preferences through surveys, focus groups, or social listening. Use these insights to refine your messaging. Adjust your tone, language, and the platforms you use to communicate, ensuring they align with what this audience values. My Take: From my experience, actively involving your audience in this process can make a significant difference. Collaborate with them through interactive content, polls, or feedback sessions. This not only helps in tailoring your message but also builds trust and shows that you value their input. Balancing adaptation with authenticity is the key to re-establishing a strong connection.

People trust other people: not logos and slogans. Even with the best product, branding, and marketing, your brand will never be able to connect with customers on a deeply human level. And the best you can do if you don't have a physical face is to borrow someone else's. Find creators and influencers who - Stand for the same things as you do - Have a voice that resembles yours - Would be fully genuine when vouching for your brand Pro-tip: You can even raise these brand champions yourself. Invite them to learn more about your brand and become ambassadors of your mission. Then they will naturally adopt the key messages and values of your brand identity.

Influencers within your key demographic can act as bridges, reconnecting you with the audience. They're not just marketing tools; they're social relationship assets that provide credibility and relatability. Choose influencers who align with your brand values and have a genuine connection with their followers. They can offer invaluable insights into the demographic's preferences and help tailor your strategy to be more appealing. For example, when Nike collaborates with athletes and fitness influencers who embody its brand ethos, it not only boosts credibility but also deeply resonates with its target audience.

Partnering with influencers within your key demographic can effectively bridge the gap between your brand and the audience. Right influencers bring credibility and relatability, acting as trusted voices within their communities. Personal Insight: In a past campaign, I collaborated with a micro-influencer whose lifestyle mirrored our brand values. His authentic engagement and deep connection with her audience resulted in a significant increase in our brand's engagement and positive perception. Her feedback was instrumental in refining our messaging, ensuring it resonated more deeply with our target audience. This experience reinforced the power of leveraging genuine influencer partnerships to reconnect with key demographics.

To reconnect with an audience, reassess your product or service offerings. Determine if they are still relevant to the demographic or if they need an update or a complete overhaul. This doesn't always mean reinventing the wheel; sometimes, a new feature or a tweak in design can reignite interest. Listen to what your audience is saying and be willing to make changes that reflect their evolving needs. For instance, when McDonald's noticed a shift towards healthier eating habits, they introduced salads and fruit options to cater to health-conscious consumers, regaining their interest.

When building a community around your brand, make sure you don't accidentally make it *about* your brand. The difference is critical. Many brands looking to foster a community, start by putting themselves at the center and inviting people to be spectators and fans: "Let's talk all things [brand]!" And you end up with another channel and a lukewarm audience: just in a new space. Instead, to build a tribe of brand advocates, gather them *around* your brand. Create a space where your people can freely discuss common goals, interests, and problems (that are aligned with the purpose of your brand). Be a host and a guide, not the star of the show. Then you'll be able to confidently say "We are more than [category]: we are a community."

Branding is a dynamic process that requires consistent evolution. It involves continuously analyzing the market situation and making adjustments within the framework of the overarching story and narrative defined by your strategy. By regularly revisiting and refining your brand, you ensure it remains relevant, resonates with your audience, and effectively communicates your core message.

Analyzing and adapting your brand strategy is indeed one of the key factors in reconnecting with a key demographic. Brand strategy should be dynamic, evolving with your audience's preferences. Regularly assessing engagement and sentiment helps refine your approach to stay relevant and connected. Personal Insight: In my experience, brands that thrive are those that remain agile and responsive to their audience's needs. By continuously monitoring and adapting based on feedback and data, you can ensure your strategy aligns with the evolving expectations of your demographic, maintaining strong and meaningful connections over time.

This means only one thing - u have either not understood them well or after having understood you have deviated in the board room and 4 a/C walls… (1) Check for that and go back to your understanding or go get your understanding (2) sometimes the semiotics of how you are engaging them could be off and not the strategy and at times your reach to them via media strategy etc could be wrong - check on that (3) is your value proposition at a functional and emotional levels right, is there a dissonance? (4) Brand asset audit - mine your brand for other assets that it has which connect with the core demographic - nostalgia, a mascot a piece of old communication, could be the brand is made in their geography etc; digital and CX engagement work