Something in the way she looks, something in the way he lingers in my mind, something in the way she makes me feel. I am drawn to them. I long to have them in my life. I crave their presence.
Bet you think I'm talking about friends or celebrities or co-workers. But I'm not. I am thinking about the personality of grands--and the personas derived from the brand personality. For instance, the way she looks could be about the sophisticated and graceful style of Artistry, the lingering in my mind could be inspired by the powerful, positive presence of Nutrilite. The energetic and engaging voice of Simply Nutrilite sounds like a trusted friend with a great sense of humor. And the classy, elegant presence of Ribbon? Well, that ignites the warmth and sentiment of special celebrations, special people, special moments of giving.
If you were asked to describe the personality of our exclusive brands, what would you say? Try this: How would you characterize Nutrilite if Nutrilite was a person? Is he or she tall? athletic? spunky? spirited? smart? introspective? gregarious? laid back? analytical? detail-oriented? self-absorbed? If you get into demographics in your persona, you also begin to get a sense of who the target customers are for a brand. Male/female, under 30/over 30, urban/suburban, etc.
Let's take it into more dangerous territory, meaning I am opening this discussion up to invite constructive criticism and observations of when and how we can do better. I am going to use Nutrilite as an example here, but I think internally we look at each brand and ask some of these questions ourselves so that we stay true to the brand personality and promise. Do you see signs of Nutrilite having an identity crisis? Are there places Nutrilite disguises his or her personality and comes across as a different way or as a brief moment of relapse into a prior life? Where do you think Nutrilite is distinctive and shines brightly ... and where does Nutrilite seem dim and vague? (I know I am opening us up to some feedback that might hurt, but our brands are your brands in that you're selling them! You need to tell us what you think and hear from your customers.)
This exercise is more fun. Suppose Artistry is a celebrity -- actress, musician, athlete, dancer, politician, writer, artist --Who is she? What's her fave color? Is she a trend-setter? fashionista? Mother or career woman or both? Sophisiticated? Glam girl? Quirky? Cute?
What about Personal Accents ... what does this brand look and feel like to you? Do you get the sense the brand is just evolving? That she could be distantly related to Artistry or Artistry essentials? That she embraces the belief that a woman never has too many beads and baubles and accessories -- y'know, less is more, but not when it comes to jewelry--less is less in that case and more is better. : ) Have you noticed the jewelry is named in the catalog? How does that help define the brand and the customer?
Ribbon. Everyone gives gifts and there are Ribbon Gift Collections for virtually every person, every occasion, every budget. SO, if that's true, Ribbon needs to be one of those personality types that appeal to a wide range of people-- male, female, young, old, teens and tweens, kids, sisters, caregivers, cousins, newlyweds, athletes, sports fans, gadget gurus, coaches, teachers -- and so many others! So, Ribbon has a tough job. I'd say Ribbon needs to be a people-pleaser-always trying to make someone happy. If you think of it that way, then classic elegance is never wrong and rarely unacceptable--right? So, may be that is what Ribbon should be if Ribbon wants to fit the needs of both the gift giver and the gift recipient. So, perhaps, the royal purple color and the elegant presentation of the collection within a black envelope is on target. (definitely worth pondering this!)
Think of some of the national brands with unique and memorable personalities. Philosophy cosmetics ... Hope in a Jar. I don't use it but I know the name. If you watched a commercial on Target that did not show the name, would you know it was a Target commercial? Why?
In some ways, we've created strong personalities for our exclusive brands ... but sometimes the personality is subdued or masked ... and frequently, and certainly true as we transform the business, the brands are evolving to meet the needs of our IBOs who use and who retail, and the customers they're selling products to on a regular basis. As IBOs acquire more and more customers, and let us know of their retailing experiences, we'll be able to shape and define our exclusive brand personalities over time.
Now, please do speak up and share your impressions of our exclusive brand personalities. Do they have some attributes that are outstanding? Strengths we should make shine even more? Do they have some "issues" they should deal with in the near future? (There's always room for growth and improvement, especially when it comes from trusted sources like IBOs who are constructive in their criticism!)
Thank you in advance for commenting. Remember, we're not re-inventing our exclusive brands, but we are definitely open to input and suggestions for tuning 'em up, making them shine. Why? Because you're the ones selling these branded products to customers and we want selling to be a successful experience for you!