Even as a bonafide marketing graduate, I’m still an absolute sucker for good marketing. I know the drill when it comes to good branding. I understand the strategy behind good messaging. But when I see brands who absolutely nail their marketing and messaging, I can’t help but feel like… TAKE MY MONEY!

When a brand makes me feel important. Like I’m not just another sale. And then they back up their marketing with actual results, or a kick-ass product or service… They’ve got me. Hook, line and sinker. I’ll be their biggest cheerleader for life. I’ll happily shout their name from the rooftops. They don’t even have to ask.

I’ve even been the ‘perfect customer’ in the customer journey, more than once. I used to think I was weird for how much I analysed other brands’ marketing strategies. Now I’ve come to realise it’s actually a superpower.

So, I’ve got my observation cloak on. In this episode of the How I Do Content Podcast, I shared 3 brands that nail their marketing and messaging. It’s helpful to see examples of magical marketing and messaging out in the wild.  I’ll dive in and share what you can learn from these brands and how to apply the same principles to your own business.

3 Australian-owned brands with kick-ass marketing strategies

1. Frank Body

Frank Body is an all-time favourite when it comes to brands who nail the heck out of their messaging. It’s often imitated because it’s fun, honest, original and chock-full of personality. Their unique messaging meant I took notice. Even in the beginning – long before I studied marketing or started my own business. In a beauty industry that is highly competitive, they took a great product and turned it into an epic brand thanks to their original messaging.

Image credit: Frank Body

3 ways Frank Body nails its messaging

They started with a hero signature product

You’ve probably heard of the Frank Body original Coffee Body Scrub. Frank Body entered the market and went all in on selling their body scrub made from recycled coffee beans. They focused on being known for just one thing first.

If you’re trying to build a brand (and your budget is limited) –  narrow your focus.  This is especially true for a saturated market. Their singular focus then supported their expansion into other product lines. There’s a lot to be said for having a signature offer. 

Lesson: Take the time to refine your messaging, marketing and selling of a single, signature offer before you introduce new offers to the mix.

Embrace a different approach to how a brand should look and sound

Frank Body became known for its unique, cheeky brand voice. The star of the show was a dirty-talking character named Frank. He helped the brand differentiate Frank Body from its competition. Frank’s persona came at a time when the beauty industry was all for promoting a dull, polished image of beautiful models and influencers. Frank really broke the mould of what everyone else was doing at the time.

With taglines such as…

• Guess what? You’ll be naked in one minute.
• For babes who like to get dirty.
• More scrub means more chances to get naked.

As their founder Bree Johnson said, “People can copy your product, but they can’t copy your brand.”

Build a community of raving fans

Frank Body also started their business to create cruelty-free and non-toxic products.  Something that their target audience of Millennials and Gen Z cares about. Every piece of content embodies and emphasises their values. They built that connection with their target audience by communicating their values. Then they invited their community to be an active part of the brand. A lot of their content still to this day is User Generated Content which is priceless!

And it’s not just influencers; it’s everyday Tahryn & Ned’s who share their purchase experience with the brand. They created the #thefrankeffect movement which built a community of loyal raving fans.

2. Twoobs 

If you’re not familiar with TWOOBS, don’t worry – neither was I until late last year. Everything I’ve seen from this brand since then has turned me into a massive fan.

TWOOBS is a vegan shoe brand founded by sisters Jess & Stef in 2016. They didn’t agree with the way most shoes were being created – so they decided to create shoes that were better for your feet, better for all beings, and better for the planet.  

Their values are clear:

• Sustainability.
• Ethical practices towards animals.
• Recycled materials.
• A circular approach to fashion.

Their aim: For people to shop more consciously and thoughtfully. They want to inspire change over simply pushing sales.  And they communicate their message in a really fun way!

Image credit: Twoobs

3 ways Twoobs nails its messaging

Brand consistency 

Their scrolling banner at the very top of their homepage promotes “Free Shipping” and “Afterpay Available” followed by “Please Shop Responsibly”.

You don’t have to scroll too much further to see messaging around:

• Using recycled materials
• Carbon Neutral
• Being vegan friendly
• Turning your old pairs of TWOOBS into playgrounds (you get $10 cashback as an incentive)

At every touchpoint their messaging is clear. From their website to their social media to their email marketing. Their values and key messaging pieces are EVERYWHERE.

Lesson: Don’t underestimate the importance of repetition in your messaging to build brand awareness and trust in your community.

They look fun

Serious brand values don’t have to appear boring and professional. In fact, I’d argue that this is the power of the TWOOBS messaging. They’re able to bridge the gap between serious values and serious fun. Their whole purpose is to get people thinking differently about their purchase decisions. To do this, they also needed to do things differently. Their point of difference is their biggest selling point.

They won me over with the names of their shoes. Names like:

• Blush-tin Baldoni

• RougePaul

• Lavender Cox

• Drew Basil-more

… amazing, right!? Super simple, but super effective! 

Embody their core values

Nothing irritates me more than brands who talk a big game but don’t deliver on their promises.

When it comes to sustainability this is a very murky area. There are lots of big brands who claim to be sustainability-driven but it’s from a marketing perspective rather than an actual part of their process and practices. I tend to have a “proceed with caution” mindset when it comes to brands that talk about sustainability.

TWOOBS demonstrated the full embodiment of their message recently.   They received a defective shipment of nearly 3000 pairs of shoes. Shoes that were damaged and not to the level of quality their brand is known for. Rather than get a refund from their factory and see the damaged shoes dumped into landfill, they decided to sell the shoes at 25% off.

In an email they sent to their database and a blog on their website, they acknowledged it was a messy situation. And that it wasn’t the perfect solution, but it was the best option they had. They showed embodiment of their values. As well as how important it is to communicate honestly and openly with your community. This is true leadership stuff.

3. Zoë Foster Blake

You most likely know Zoë for her skincare brand Go-To. Did you know prior to this she was the Beauty Director at Harper’s BAZAAR and Cosmopolitan for over a decade? She had a beauty blog and is also a published author. Oh, and she’s married to Hamish Blake.

She’s a very talented wizard who has built a standout personal brand and an iconic product brand.

Image credit: Go-To Skincare

3 ways Zoë Foster-Blake nails brand messaging

Knows her target market, inside-out

In her role as Beauty Director at Harper’s BAZAAR and Cosmopolitan, Zoë reviewed heaps of skincare products daily. She also received so much feedback from women about how confusing skincare can be. The products, the ingredients and how to apply them felt overwhelming to many.

According to Zoë – “I wanted to disrupt an industry I felt had become overly complicated and very confusing for the consumer. I could see the gap for simple, effective and fun skin care.”  

And so Go-To was born.

Zoë identified the gap in the market and used this point of difference. She expertly leveraged and communicated this through the Go-To marketing and messaging.

Everything she shares on her personal channels and the brand’s channels is aimed at making skincare a lot simpler, less stressful and a whole lot more fun!

Thought leadership

There are a lot of people who look to Zoë to learn about skincare and what they should be doing. She isn’t afraid to show up as the go-to leader (see what I did there?). She openly shares her unique thoughts, perspectives and processes on skin care. 

And her community LOVE her for it.

When deciding to do this podcast episode – Zoë is the first person who popped into my mind. This doesn’t happen if you’re not being the leader in your industry.

Sustainable brand growth

It takes time to become the go-to leader in your industry. Zoë & Go-To are both authentic brands with exceptionally loyal customer bases. This didn’t happen overnight. 

According to Zoë – “Marketing and a good story will get you the first sale but it won’t get you repeat purchases.”

This came from understanding the vision, building credibility and trust – and doing it again and again. That’s how iconic brands are built, and something that Zoë is a Dumbledore-level wizard at.

Key takeaways from these powerhouse businesses with killer brand messaging

The focus is on your ideal client. 

Show them you give a shit about them – persuade them to care about your offer by showing that you understand them on a deeper level. You’re selling something that supports and improves their life or business so don’t forget to tell them how it does that.

Identify your unique selling point. 

The one thing that you can do better than anyone else in the market and go ALL IN on selling that. Your point of difference in the market is the thing that’s going to take your business to the next level right now.

Don’t try to copy or imitate other brands or businesses.

Be original! Sprinkle your unique blend of magic everywhere!

Make it super  clear who your business is for, what makes you magic and why they need you in their life – and do it on repeat. 

There’s a lot to be said for clear communication and repetition in your messaging. 

Sign up for my 1:1 Biz Wizard Coaching Series

If you want to nail your messaging and marketing and say ‘alohomora’ to more income and impact – my 1:1 Biz Wizard Coaching Series is for YOU!

I support you to create desire, demand and differentiation through your messaging so you can take your business to the next level.

I currently have 2 spots available – to make one yours, head over here for all the juicy details.

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