Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
- On-page SEO
- Off-page SEO
- Technical SEO
Content Marketing
- Blogging
- Video production
- Infographics
- E-books and whitepapers
- Case studies
- Webinars and online presentations
Social Media Marketing
- Organic social media marketing
- Paid social media advertising
- Influencer marketing
- Social media management
Email Marketing
- Newsletter campaigns
- Drip campaigns
- Transactional emails
- Email list segmentation
Pay-Per-Click Advertising (PPC)
- Google Ads
- Bing Ads
- Social media advertising (e.g., Facebook Ads, Instagram Ads)
- Retargeting/remarketing
Affiliate Marketing
- Partnering with affiliates
- Performance-based marketing
Mobile Marketing
- SMS marketing
- In-app advertising
- Mobile search ads
Marketing Automation
- Automated email sequences
- Customer relationship management (CRM) integrations
- Lead nurturing workflows
Online Public Relations (PR)
- Online press releases
- Influencer outreach
- Digital PR campaigns
Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO)
- A/B testing
- User experience (UX) improvements
- Landing page optimization
Analytics and Data Analysis
- Web analytics (e.g., Google Analytics)
- Social media analytics
- Campaign performance tracking
Voice Search Optimization
- Optimizing content for voice search
- Structured data markup
Interactive Content
- Quizzes
- Polls and surveys
- Interactive infographics
Online Reputation Management
- Managing online reviews
- Responding to customer feedback
- Building positive brand sentiment
Video Marketing
- YouTube marketing
- Live video streaming
- Video ads
Podcast Marketing
- Podcast production
- Podcast advertising
- Guest appearances
These tactics can be used individually or in combination to create a comprehensive digital marketing strategy tailored to specific business goals and target audiences.
The Problem
Why branding is important makes sense when one considers “First Healthcare Products,” a family-owned medical supply business in Tacoma, Washington. The generic name did not work as three decades passed without the business creating brand recognition with customers. As its marketing manager, I was to rebrand “First Products” so it could be as memorable as a hospital’s good cup of coffee.
The Action Plan
Knowing the importance of branding, I knew we needed to go with something sticky. Introduce two cartoon characters “Judy & Trudy” to serve as the fresh faces of “First Products.”
Creating the Characters
Knowing why branding is necessary, we designed “Judy,” a cheerful Caucasian nurse, and “Trudy,” an equally upbeat African American nurse. Beyond drawings, these must reflect professionalism while being fun and engaging.
Collaboration with an Illustrator
Finally, to bring “Judy & Trudy” to life, I hired a great illustrator who instinctively grasps why branding is essential. Hours of work went into perfecting their looks – ensuring they wore the warmest smiles and the most inviting uniforms.
The Bobble-Head Revolution
I had to make “Judy & Trudy” memorable. I had a bunch of bobblehead dolls made up. Really cute little things, given away at medical conferences and trade shows and straight to hospitals and clinics.
Imagine the scene: doctors and nurses receiving bobbleheads instead of the usual pens or stress balls. These dolls quickly became the talk of the trade shows, bringing a smile to the faces of busy medical professionals. Who knew that branding is essential and could be illustrated with bobbleheads?
The Results
It was brilliant to create “Judy & Trudy” to really explain, for real, just why branding is so important:
Memorable Brand Identity
This was amply illustrated by the fact that “Judy & Trudy” became inextricably coupled with “First Products.” That is one of the reasons why branding is important : have the smiling faces of our animated nurses entrenched in our customers’ minds, making our brand far more visible.
Increased Customer Engagement
The bobbleheads served as constant reminders of our products, which shows why branding is essential. Hospitals and clinics began to equate their positive experience with our characters.
Increased Customer Satisfaction and Brand Loyalty
Results came in and were resoundingly positive and validated why branding is crucial. The hospital purchasing agents’ feedback them, the nurses loved them, and the doctors raved about them. All this time, Judy & Trudy, in their nursing stations administrating offices, won a sense of brand loyalty and familiarity with our brand.
Sales Boost and Market Positioning
This visibility and engagement became accurate results and further proved why branding is essential. As more hospitals and clinics chose “First Products” over the competition, this visibility and engagement steadily improved sales. The fun and friendly image Judy & Trudy had was a unique edge in the marketplace.
The Humor Behind the Strategy
Today, a great marketing plan does not always have to be about hard work and serious planning. Sometimes, it just takes a little bit of humor to work great wonders in simply making your point as to why branding is important. The whole concept of using bobblehead dolls might have seemed whimsical at first, but it was this very whimsy that caught people’s attention. One memorable trade show was when a doctor picked up a Judy bobblehead and asked, laughing, if she could handle his appointments. We laughed, too, but knew instantly that we had done something special: we’d created an emotional connection between our brand and our customers. That’s the magic of branding.
Conclusion
What made the “First Products” rebrand strategy a success, ultimately, was making our brand unforgettable. This illustrates why branding is important.
With Judy & Trudy, we gave our customers something to smile about and remember—to engage with. As I said, this is not a story about how to bump up sales or recognition; it’s about creating one connection that took a very cookie-cutter medical supply company and morphed it into a beloved and memorable brand.
So, next time you find yourself up against a branding challenge, take heed of what makes branding so crucial. Because sometimes the power of a friendly face, maybe even a bobblehead doll or two, makes all of the difference.
Because, in business, just like in life, sometimes a little humor and a whole lot of heart can make all the difference.
