I'm focused on the healthcare industry, in which I've been working in one form or another for 30 years. My challenge, as I see it, is to help these companies understand how developing their brand (or rebranding) can have a strong impact than fiddling around at the margins solely by tinkering with blog content, press releases, white papers and the like instead of branding exercises.
The challnege here is that not too many people really understand branding, similar to the way people understand marketing. It does not have a consistent meaning.
You will have to educate your csuite or key personnel on the value of developing their brand. Use examples of other companies in your industry that are brand focused, and call out things they do. Using a SWOT analysis can help as well.
Another way is to start with the purpose of the organization. Is the purpose aligned with everything decision made in the organization? If not this is a good indirect way to start your branding campaign.
Hope this helps! I'm available for followups if needed!
Congratulations on your experience! What kind of influence do you have within the industry? Do you have existing clients? Have they pigeonholed you into a content marketing strategist? If so, you'll fight to overcome that.
But the pivot for you is not hard. Instead of professing the benefits of content marketing (blogging, whitepapers, etc) - focus on the benefits of brand development. Discuss the Dos and Don'ts, options, strategic purposes, and implementation of proper branding.
I'm happy to discuss more, just send me a note or book a call.
All the best,
-Shaun
