How To Build Popularity with Communication

The Relationship Between Popularity and Communication

How well your brand performs on Popularity is a measure of how much “buzz” or cultural momentum it has. Communications is a fantastic way to increase your Popularity, as it’s based on how much people feel others use or talk about the brand. The more they think others use it, the more Popular they will perceive it to be.  

In order to get more buzz around your brand, think about the following actions: 

1. Who can you borrow Popularity from? Think about brands or influencers that have similar values or objectives to you, either inside or outside of your own category. Co-create or co-brand something together, so that people can judge you positively by the company you keep. Collaborating in such a way will mean some of the positivity people feel towards their brand will halo onto you. Always make sure that the strategic purpose of the collaboration is clear, or people will be left nonplussed. For bonus points, try to find a brand with an audience that would be interested in your product, but that you haven’t yet accessed. To ensure people hear about it, advertise the endeavor on social and with PR outreach, targeting new audiences to increase penetration, and existing audiences to increase advocacy.

2. How can you make people see how Popular your brand is? Think of ways to amplify the voices of those who already use your brand to create a sense of widespread use and adoration of your brand, ideally getting them to articulate your key benefit in their own words. Think about where you can weave in customer testimony naturally, so that people don’t feel too pushed by it. Try and find a new or exciting way to present testimonials – try to surprise and delight people with something that doesn’t feel generic and dull. And remember to reinforce your credentials on site and on your social feeds!   

3. How can you capture popular attention? Make sure that your key benefit is articulated in a way that is punchy and memorable. It must be single-minded enough to cut through – try and make it easy for people to talk about. If they couldn’t say it back to you in a single sentence, the idea is too complicated. Once you have this down, think about the most current, coolest channels to propagate the message in: influencer channels or a consumer-facing editorial, for example.

4. Does your Popularity have substance? As your brand builds momentum, make sure that all of your communications ladder up clearly into your positioning and purpose. Popularity can become a runaway train, but if harnessed well, it can have a big impact on lots of other Drivers as you bring attention to what you are saying.  

What should you do next?

• Think about other brands or people that you could collaborate with. Who has access to the audience you want, and what could you do together that makes sense? 
• Use social media and your own website to communicate how many people use and love your brand, in an unexpected and engaging way.
• Make sure your key benefit and message are as memorable and clear as possible, so that people know what you can do for them. 
• To make the most of your growth, make sure that all your communications are clearly linked to your tone of voice and what your brand stands for. 

How to determine if it’s working.

• There should be an increase in Popularity within your platform scores. You should also see a small associated rise in whichever Driver your brand is championing, as this will be getting more airtime with people
• Brands that have momentum in culture start to gather big social media followings and gain substantial earned (free!) PR.
  
  
  Guidance from:
  Searsha Sadek | Head of Brand Partners, ProQuo AI
  
  Searsha has always grown brands in advertising agencies: from haircare and frozen food to spirits and streaming services. She focussed on how communicating explicitly and implicitly is key.