positioning Archives | FreeAssociates

The Principle of trash talk

Some businesses are more fun to work on than others. And waste management? You’d think that would be at the bottom of the list. But you’d be wrong.

Commercial waste management includes recycling, environmental impact and restrictions, tightly controlled regulation, and multiple waste streams. Not to mention the coordination of multiple suppliers, schedules and costs that can have a big effect on your bottom line.

What’s strange is that the industry itself seems to think it’s boring, At least based on the general level of ho-hum that characterized the websites of our new client’s competitors.

Boredom = Opportunity

So when Principle Waste and Environmental Services asked us to help with their new brand, we saw a giant hole in the marketplace. One they filled nicely.

First, though, we needed to address the name. They were referring to themselves as “PWES”. Not memorable. Not pronounceable. Almost anonymous.

But their real “first name” is “Principle”. And they picked it for real reasons. Their down-to-earth approach. Their solid integrity. Their hands-on, real-people team that creates a principled partnership with their clients. We recommended that they anchor the brand to that word and to those ideas.

Next, positioning.

Where do they fit among the other brands in their business?

Principle’s job is to take over the complexity and general annoyance of dealing with multiple waste streams, so their clients can focus on managing the actual properties. The company is small, but their founder has big experience and they are poised to grow. They’re friendly and personable, but thoroughly professional.

We wanted their brand identity to embody the credibility of an established company, but to have the warmth of the close, supportive working relationships they create. So we gave the logo a corporate vibe. But the site added personality, humor and attention-getting imagery. A nice balance that authentically aligns with who they are and what they offer.

The new site is only recently up and running, so no major results quite yet. But response from those who’ve experienced it has been 100% positive. And it’s infused their sales efforts with excitement, pride and confidence.

Want to bring design thinking like this to help power your company? Sure you do. Nobody wants to see a great brand opportunity… ahem… go to waste.

Positioning is dating

Working through your company’s positioning can be surprisingly difficult.

It’s like evaluating a photo of yourself. It’s a lot easier if someone else helps. Even if you’re a positioning expert.

We’re working on this right now with our own outside advisor, Paul Small of BD Navig8tors. And one step in his process is developing a manifesto for our strategy-driven brand design firm.

For comparison and inspiration, we took a look at some samples from other, unnamed agencies. Like so many mission statements and similar declarations of organizational intention, most of these felt as though they could apply to a score of companies in our business. Some seemed more compelling to me, but too many made me think, “Yeah, I’ve heard that before.”

And then I remembered something important.

The goal is to find the ideas that resonate with you. That reflect your values.

It’s not that we’re 100% dissimilar from every single other firm or agency in the nation (much less the world). That’s unrealistic. But the thing that defines us is who we are and, hopefully, what we believe.

On OKCupid, there are dozens of possible people you could date — many of whom you could fall in love with and happily marry. But those dozens are just a tiny slice of the hundreds or thousands of people you may actually encounter in your life.

And what defines these few future hearthrobs is that their WHY is the same as yours. (For more on this see my post on Simon Sinek.)

So it seems this process hinges on becoming very clear about who you are. Then finding interesting, engaging ways of demonstrating your WHY so all those dates out there understand why they should have coffee with you.

This is true for almost every company. When you claim to be the “only” choice, your audience is insulted. And trust — the essence of your brand — is gone.

What you need is to be as different as you actually are. You need to be true to your WHY. Then others who believe in, or value, those same things, will swipe right. And you can get together to find out more.

Positioning. It can help your brand meet the love of its life.

The Principle of trash talk

Positioning is dating

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