There is something special when a company has a large following of fans that continue to support the brand and the company through the good times and bad. These fans may form online community forums or devote websites to being a fan. But mostly, it is that instant connection when someone mentions the company name, that if you are like them and a huge fan, a part of the community, you share a special bond. You may be a complete stranger, but the excitement for the company and brand is something you share.
A great example of this community built company is to look at a political campaign that swept the nation and most of the world too. I am talking about Barrack Obama’s presidential campaign. Now, first, he is not running a company, but he was able to run a campaign as though it were a company, which is how it should be run in my opinion. Through his grass-roots movement, he was able to get a large base behind his message to help elevate and move him and his campaign forward. What was it that got people excited about the brand Obama? It was and is his commitment to change. That is something that everyone understands and identifies with. People are looking for change to help themselves and their communities move forward.
Obama brought a fresh, new approach to campaigning, and utilized new technologies to connect with his market. Just as a business has to utilize new and unique approaches to create a competitive advantage, Obama was able to speak to millions of people over the internet, which makes up a large portion of young voters. To show how popular President Obama is online, in just one social media profile, he now has 243,912 followers. You can follow President Obama on Twitter, if you like.
So while President Obama used community to build his presidential campaign, you can use community to build your brand and boost your company. Apple is a great example of a company who has a world-wide group of fanatics. When you meet an Apple fan, you instantly know. You automatically have something in common and you agree instantly on how intuitive the operating system feels to you. This is apparent, because if you were to comment on the intuitiveness of the operating system to a primary PC user, you may get a completely different response. The PC user clearly isn’t connected or part of the Apple community.
How You Can Build A Community To Build Your Company
Looking at the two examples above, what is it that Obama and Apple share in common? They both get down to the core of what they stand for. In one word, Obama stands for change, Apple for innovation. Because both of these brands have gotten down to the very essence, people can identify with them. If you agree change is needed, Obama is your man. If you want an innovative solution to computing, Apple offers the top products for you. What is the absolute essence of your brand, what your company stands for? Can you get it down to one word? Try and have it be no longer than seven words, and choose words that are clear and easy to understand.
If you notice, the top companies and top campaigns are simplest at their core, and connect with their target markets instantly. This takes creativity and determination, but once your have your core message, your mission, it can be one of the most powerful tools in your toolbox.
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