Want to know the latest marketing hack
that will boost your revenue and popularize your brand?
Well, plot twist, the best growth hack out there is knowing
that there is no way to hack growth at all.
I know, right?
The truth is, in order for businesses to thrive
in today's market, they need to unlearn all of those hacks
and tactics from the "Mad Men," suit and ties, boardrooms,
and whiskey era of marketing
and instead adopt a people-first
and values-based approach to marketing.
So in today's video, I'm gonna explain the basics
of this philosophy and why it is so freaking important,
as I count down 5 of the brands that are leading the way
and shaping the future of marketing.
Can you guess number one?
Stay tuned.
(upbeat electronic music)
Hey, Posse! What's up?
It's Alex coming at you this week with another tutorial
to help you master the world of modern marketing,
copywriting, and branding.
But first, if you're new to the crew, welcome.
If learning about digital marketing methods
that are working today sounds interesting to you,
then you know what to do.
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Now let's get right into this video.
Gone are the days of claiming to hold certain morals,
ethics, and values but failing to back them up
with a brand experience that really radiates
and embodies those values.
If you wanna sell a lot of products or services
in today's market, then you need to join what I like to call
the new school of modern marketing,
marketing that puts people first,
marketing that leads with values,
not hype or misleading claims,
marketing that sells with real stories and connections,
not fear mongering and fake scarcity.
The sad truth is, there are a ton of amazing brands
and businesses out there, with amazing products
and services and killer missions,
that aren't doing as well as they could be doing,
because they have followed bad marketing advice.
And it is not their fault. They just don't know any better.
Unfortunately, many businesses still think
that if they wanna make money, then they really need
to use those direct-response marketing tactics
from the '70s.
So they either do that or they don't do any marketing at all
because it feels gross to them or they're just not vibing
with that sort of selling strategy.
Well, I am here to tell you that there is a better way.
You can sell your products and services
without selling out on your integrity.
And I promise, if you follow this people-first approach
to marketing, chances are pretty good
that you'll sell way more products
than you ever did following those old-school methods.
Now, before I get too deep down this rabbit hole,
let me be perfectly clear.
I am not throwing shade on the direct-response marketers
from the '70s.
In fact, a lot of those men and women were pioneering
and incredibly brilliant, amazing geniuses
who really laid the foundation for everything we do today.
I myself started in marketing in direct-response marketing.
But what I am saying is that the market today
is vastly different than it was in the '70s.
According to one survey, 87% of people
want a more meaningful relationship with brands,
but only 17% think brands are actually delivering on that.
The market has spoken.
And frankly, it's no longer enough
to have the cheapest product
or the best promotion on Black Friday.
The competition is too fierce,
and the market is too flooded.
And these positioning strategies
are no longer the driving factor
behind many buying decisions.
Instead, today's customers are seeking
out more meaningful relationships with the brands
and businesses they want to do business with.
They don't wanna just buy your product
and then be on their merry way.
They wanna actually build a relationship
with their favorite brands,
brands who share their values, brands they trust,
brands they can relate to,
and brands that make them feel seen, valued, and heard.
And this is the new school of modern marketing.
And if brands wanna stay relevant in today's market,
then it's time to learn the ropes.
Not only does this values-led marketing strategy
outperform more traditional tactics,
it also feels way better and produces a higher ROI
and customer lifetime value.
And I have brands with examples to back this up.
So starting off with number five on my list of brands
that are leading the way in the future of marketing
is Under Armour.
So when Under Armour wanted to appeal to more women
in their marketing, they knew that having a great product
alone was not going to get them there.
While brands like lululemon
and Nike really spent time nurturing their female audience,
the majority of women actually rejected
Under Armour completely, associating the brand
as meatheaded, aggressive, purely performance-driven,
and definitely not for me, yeah.
Under Armour knew that if they wanted to draw in more women
to their brand that was born out of football
and historically connected to alpha-male customers,
they were going to have to speak to women
on a much deeper level.
They were gonna have to speak
to their core values and emotions.
Enter the "I Will What I Want" campaign,
which highlighted real women fighting for what they want
and achieving success on their own terms.
And it wasn't just about sports apparel and working out
but what it really means to be a woman in the 21st century.
In a culture obsessed with debating what a woman should be
and how we should look and how we should dress,
the only way for her to free herself from the pressure
is to define success on her own terms.
And so the tagline became,
"The Under Armour woman doesn't need permission
because she has will."
The campaign was a huge success,
resulting in a 28% sales increase in the female demographic.
Now, you might be thinking, "Okay, Alex.
That all sounds fine and good,
but Under Armour is a massive brand
with a huge marketing budget and a whole team of experts
to roll this out.
So how do I actually do that with my brand and make money?
What does this really look like?"
Well, let me show you.
Let's take a look at a few brands
that are really walking the talk and are great examples
of this modern approach to values-led marketing.
So that brings me to number four on my list, Telfar.
Telfar Global is a non-binary brand
that has basically taken the fashion world by storm.
And honestly, they are shaking up the way all brands,
not just fashion, think about marketing.
The designer behind the brand, Telfar Clemens,
is a queer Liberian-American designer
who has been advocating for inclusivity for years,
before it was ever mainstream,
particularly advocating for the black and queer communities
that are typically left out of big fashion brands
and marketing campaigns.
The designer is very clear with the label's purpose of,
"Not for you, for everyone."
and stands behind this statement
by striving to make the products financially accessible
for everyone.
But my favorite thing about the brand
is the way they are reimagining the customer experience
to drive more interaction and engagement
within their community.
They have something, this is so genius, called TELFAR.TV.
So consumers who wanna buy a Telfar bag actually need
to tune into TELFAR.TV and watch for a QR code
to pop up on the channel, which then will take them directly
to a link to make their purchase.
The idea is that only fans who are really invested
in the label will actually wait that long for the QR code
and then go ahead and purchase,
rather than having all of their merchandise available
through e-commerce, where bots have been known
to buy hundreds of Telfar totes at a time.
You might think that doing business this way
would really hurt the brand's bottom line,
but the reality is actually so much different.
The brand has done such a great job of speaking
to their customers and building that strong community,
that even though it might seem harder to make a purchase,
their totes have been known to sell out in seconds.
Yes, seconds, you cannot go to their site
to buy one right now.
They now have thousands of people pre-ordering their totes.
And it has really become the "It" bag
that everyone is seeking.
Even Oprah and Beyonce are fans of the brand.
And this is what's possible when you really stay true
to your values and make your community feel heard,
seen, and valued.
And notice that, even though demand is skyrocketing,
Telfar is not raising the price
because they really stand behind their core value
that fashion should be accessible for everyone.
All right, moving on to number three on my list, NextGen.
So NextGen is a female-ran brand
that is completely revolutionizing something
that we all do but hate.
Yes, I am talking about taxes.
So instead of dishing out the usual generic tax advice,
wahwah and trying to sound all businessy
with the big guys, they really understand
that new business owners are often overlooked
in the tax world, and there is a big gap
where trust and experience is missing.
So using this fresh perspective, feminine energy,
and attention to the small guys,
who will someday become the big guys,
which, of course, is their mission,
NextGen aims to create and educate underestimated founders
and turn them into the next generation
of ultra successful entrepreneurs.
Woo! I just got goosebumps.
And their values, which are clearly laid out
on their website, are what really stand out to me,
especially in the tax world,
where things are naturally all about money.
I mean, just one scroll through their Instagram page,
and you'll see that they're drastically different
from most tax and accounting firms you'll find online.
They even directly call out their industry and say, "Yeah,
sometimes financial management can be a little bit shady."
Even going as far as to say,
"If you want what's always been done,
then we're not for you."
This is the epitome of what I mean when I say,
"Polarity is a good thing."
Remember, if you try to sell to everyone,
you'll sell to nobody.
So don't be afraid to ruffle a few feathers
and show up authentically as you.
That is how you attract your audience of loyal subscribers.
All right, next up, number two on my list, Needessentials.
So here's an amazing brand that is really walking the walk
and showing what it means to live out your core values.
And plot twist, one of the ways they do this
is through sustainable advertising
and not paying for all types of advertising.
Yes, seriously.
They say, "We are focused on minimizing our impact
on the environment.
We do not produce things you don't need
like advertising materials, packaging,
and single-use plastics.
By letting go of all those non-essentials
and delivering our products directly to you,
we can make a world-class wetsuit
at a fraction of the price.
It's about having less stuff and more freedom."
So even though the brand doesn't spend as much money
on advertising as other brands, thanks to its strong values
and word-of-mouth marketing,
it has quickly built itself a thriving reputation
in the surf community and now has an incredible,
loyal fan base of committed customers.
And that brings me to number one on the list.
Did you guess it?
It is Patagonia.
Alright, you know that I couldn't not include Patagonia
on this list.
While they might not be an-up-and coming brand,
they have been all over the headlines recently,
thanks to what we're talking about today,
walking the walk and putting actions where your values are.
So you probably saw their post on Instagram,
because literally everyone shared it, including me.
It went absolutely viral,
and I totally believe it should have.
And it said, "We've always been dead serious
about saving our home planet,
and now we're putting the entire business
where our mouth is."
Oh my gosh, I just got so many goosebumps.
They then linked to an article on their website
where they announced something incredible,
that after almost 50 years in business, Patagonia owner
and his family would be surrendering all ownership
of the brand, valued at about $3 billion,
to two entities that will divert profits
towards combatting climate change
and protecting undeveloped land.
This is how you show up with integrity as a brand
and stand behind your values.
This is so legit, Patagonia. I'm in love with you.
This is the ultimate way for a brand
to really bring together and rally its existing fan base
around a cause, while simultaneously attracting thousands
of new lifelong fans and brands who hold the same values.
Well done.
Now, do you need to go to this extreme
in order to practice values-led marketing?
No, of course not,
especially if you're just getting started
or you're a small business.
But this is an excellent reminder that customers love
to see brands take action towards their values and beliefs.
Remember, it's not enough to just throw together a website
and put all your values on there.
You have to actually show up and demonstrate those values
in everything your business does,
at every single marketing touchpoint,
from how you do business
to how you communicate with your customers,
and even down to your everyday messaging.
Every single aspect of your brand should radiate your values
and speak directly to your ideal customer.
This is how you bring your brand into cult status
and create irrational, loyal customers
that'll come back again and again and again,
no matter what else is out there on the market,
even if it's more expensive than your competition,
because they aren't just out there
for the product or service.
They are there for the brand and the experience they have
with every single interaction.
Pretty cool, right?
Now, if you are wondering how to actually implement
everything we talked about today
and create your own branding that follows this
people-first, values-led approach to modern marketing,
you're definitely gonna wanna click below
to join my email list, because I am planning something
very, very special in the near future,
and you're definitely gonna wanna be the first
to know about it.
Alright, guys, that's all I have for you today.
Until next time, I'm Alex.
Ciao for now.
Alright, guys, if you enjoyed that video,
make sure to check out the next one from me right here.
And you can click right here to get a free gift.
Wanna know how to create an audience of raving fans
without having to spend thousands of dollars
on big promotions or fancy marketing strategies?
Well, then there is one very important thing
that you must get right.
And it has nothing to do with your business plan
or how long you've been around
or how many people are on your email list
or even how good your marketing is.
I know, shocker.
But I am talking about one very important thing
called branding.
And in this video, I'm gonna walk you through
a simple 5-step branding exercise
that can help you create a unique brand voice
and keep your customers coming back again and again.
Stay tuned.