Remain Relevant

For any business, your brand platform must be built on authenticity, relevancy, and differentiation. Authenticity is a pretty obvious concept. It means you must be believable—the genuine article. Differentiation simply means doing the opposite of what the other guy is doing.

But relevance can be a somewhat more difficult concept to grasp. Being relevant means having a bearing on, or connection with, the matter at hand. Is your business germane? Is it pertinent? In other words, does anyone care?

According to relevance expert Marilynn T. Mobley, “If people don’t connect with your brand, change it. Don’t fall so in love with your logo, your name, your tagline, and your colors that you are blinded to the fact that few people care but you.”

So, how do you know if your business is losing relevance in the marketplace?

“First, it’s a ‘gut feel’ that you’re getting stale,” says Mobley. The second warning sign is that “you notice that marketplace reaction isn’t what it used to be or what you want. If your business is one whose growth depends on ‘bringing in new blood’ you absolutely must make note of how your new and potential customers want to do business with you.”

Lend a Hand...
The USDA Forest Service recently determined that its brand—embodied in the ubiquitous Woodsy Owl—was losing its relevance in the marketplace. Woodsy’s been around for more than 25 years, and to have that kind of longevity means that you must remain relevant with your target audiences. In Woodsy’s case, that means the chubby owl and his “Give a hoot! Don’t pollute!” watchwords would have to make adjustments in order to continue to connect with his constituencies. If kids stopped listening—stopped caring—about what Woodsy had to say, the Forest Service’s mission would be compromised.
“Regardless of the type of business you’re in,” says Mobley, “you absolutely must understand what your customers want and expect from you…and then provide it. This means having multiple channels for feedback and then using that feedback to improve. Your strategy should target the ‘most desirable’ audience and your tactics need to include what’s important to them.”

In the case of the Forest Service, that desirable audience was children 5 to 8 years old, when youngsters begin to form their views about the environment and how they interact within it.

The Forest Service teamed up with the Children’s Television Workshop to revitalize Woodsy’s message and appearance to become more meaningful—and make a better connection—with today’s youth and teaching environments.

According to the Forest Service, “Caring, friendly, and wise, Woodsy is a whimsical mentor to youngsters. His new message ‘Lend a hand—Care for the land,’ is positive, easily understood, and generates an interest in the stewardship of natural resources. As Woodsy flies across the land, he invites children to see the world around them and explore their surroundings.”

In addition to the new slogan, Woodsy also sports a new look. He’s trim and fit to better identify with today’s kids. He dons a backpack, hiking shoes, and field pants. He’s become smarter and is dressed appropriately for safely exploring the great outdoors—from forests to urban areas—to lead children on nature hikes.

True relevance is hidden in the metrics
Listen to what your customers and prospects are telling you. “It is critical that you benchmark and measure the elements that are key to your growth,” says Mobley. “The biggest weakness I see in business is a lack of measurement and willingness to look beyond what’s working to what could work even better. Too often, small businesses skimp on investing in competitive analysis research and marketplace readiness research. That’s a mistake. By the time you finally admit you need outside help, it’s often too late.”

You’re probably relevant if you’re certain that your business and its offerings really matter to your customers and prospects—and you can quantify it with metrics. “The key to remaining relevant,” says Mobley, “is to anticipate the need for change. Above all, be willing to make the necessary changes to remain relevant.”

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