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Why brand building matters for SMEs

Why brand building matters for SMEs

There’s no doubt about it that a recognisable brand is one of the most valuable assets a business owns. 59% of consumers prefer to buy products from brands familiar to them.

As a small business, you may be competing against larger brands and that’s why it’s so powerful to stand out with a solid brand-building process. By building a brand and not just a business, it will give you fantastic growth and loyal customers.

Why brand building matters for SMEs

Brand building doesn’t happen overnight and is a process that requires a strategy, however, achieving this will result in establishing long-term relationships with your customers. Brand building is about getting a long-term flow of sales, revenue, and profit, now and into the future. Take Digby Brown Solicitors for example. Here at STV, we have partnered with the team since 2013 on their advertising journey. Working closely with their account manager Maggie, Digby Brown Solicitors have since grown to become one of the most recognised solicitors in Scotland, and they believe their long-term TV marketing strategy has played a huge role in making this happen.

“In 2013 in Scotland no one had heard of Digby Brown Solicitors. Roll on a few years later and we are a household name. Why? Genius marketing/creative and quality production and the ability to reach the largest single audience in Scotland. Digby Brown’s growth in recognition is down to no small part played by STV. We value STV and we know this partnership matters.” – Craig Semple, Director of Marketing at Digby Brown Solicitors

Check out their most recent ad here:

Brand building is all about building memory structures that will influence consumers’ behaviour into the future. The most effective way of doing this is through repeated exposure and broad reach media such as TV because the aim is to show consumers that you’re there and build these memory structures, regardless of whether or not they are shopping right now.

The power of TV advertising for building great brands

TV advertising remains the most effective way to build a brand in comparison to other forms of advertising. Just as it turns people into stars, TV turns brands into household names. When asked what type of advertising makes brands more famous, 66% of people chose TV – over five times more than the next closest media, which was social. Reach is critical in building a successful brand and no other form of advertising can build scale as quickly and powerfully as TV.

Building your brand with STV

At STV, we understand the power of brand building. That’s why we work with Scottish businesses to help grow fantastic brands. We launched the STV Growth Fund in 2018 to make it easier for Scottish businesses to advertise on television. Our Fund connects Scottish businesses with consumers earlier in their business journey, enabling them to capitalise on the unrivalled connection STV has with consumers – reaching 81% of Scots every month. From retailers and home improvement services to leisure and eCommerce businesses, our members have achieved success.

One of our favourite brand-building success stories comes from Cheeky Chompers, a Scottish baby brand established by two female entrepreneurs, Julie Wilson and Amy Livingstone, who saw their sales increase by a third after partnering with the STV Growth Fund. The first Cheeky Chompers STV campaign resulted in a massive 16% growth in brand awareness over just two weeks with a significant increase in brand awareness amongst their core target audience of women, parents, and 35-44s. Since their first campaign, Cheeky Chompers has been back on air to continue building their brand awareness and engage with Scottish consumers. You can hear more about Julie and Amy’s TV advertising journey in their own words here.

Are you a Scottish business looking to build long term brand awareness amongst a Scottish audience? Find out how we can support by heading over to www.stvgrowthfund.tv

Source: Thinkbox, 2021: TV advertising is for everyone, Thinkbox, 2019: How TV generates business growth, BARB, Jan-Jun 2021, adults, 09:30-29:59, Stuff, 2017: Peter Field: Short-termism is killing effectiveness, Fresh Spark, April 2021, 11 Simple Steps for a Successful Brand Building Process

 

Implementing storytelling in your marketing

What is brand storytelling?

 Storytelling is an essential part of a strong marketing campaign, and if you want to build your business, it’s something to consider. Telling the story of your brand will immediately help set you apart from your competition.

Whatever your brand, one thing is certain: in today’s crowded landscape, consumers aren’t just buying from anyone. They’re buying from brands they feel connected to.

Take John Lewis for example. Over the past few years, John Lewis has undergone a huge transformation in terms of how consumers engage with them and has now become one of the UK’s favourite brands. This is partly due to their advertising being so well-loved and as a result, their sales have increased tremendously.

These growth-driving campaigns use emotional rather than rational messaging; engaging storytelling and a unifying idea of ‘thoughtful giving’. John Lewis creates advertising that consumers are not only happy to watch but also actively seek out which can only happen if you capture the public imagination. Each Christmas campaign is anticipated and talked about by pretty much everyone. But it isn’t just ‘nice to watch’; it halts the nation and most importantly, it drives business success.

Why does brand storytelling matter?

Stories grab attention. People are inherently more interested in reading or watching something engaging compared to reading a list of stats and figures. Stories and emotions are a huge part of how we make decisions; so, starting with the story will pull someone in more quickly than simply telling them you’ll save them money.

A fantastic example of this is from one of our clients, Blood Cancer UK. They came on air with an incredibly effective emotive campaign with positive messaging that uplifts the nation and looks towards the future. By using a storytelling approach in their creative, it enabled Blood Cancer UK to really stand out and create a strong, meaningful bond with Scottish viewers that encourages them to take action. Check out their ad here.

  1. Stories sell better

Storytelling boosts purchases in addition to simple interest. Some consumers ignore the benefits of a superior product in favour of the one their gut directs them toward. For prospective consumers early in your marketing or sales funnel, your story can be what brings them in and gets them to start considering a purchase. Storytelling is a way to engage emotionally, meaning that if there’s a story behind your brand, you’re likely to start ahead of the pack when it comes to selling.

  1. Your story sets you apart

Depending on your industry, there could be a lot of businesses saying roughly the same thing about the same products. Setting yourself apart from the competition is a must. One way you can do that is through storytelling. Just like each person has a different life story, every business is unique, even if they appear to share common traits from the outside.

During our ‘Building Resilience and Growth’ STV Growth Academy webinar earlier this year, Sharon Mars, Head of Brand, Marketing & Communications at EY Scotland led a session on the power of long-term story-led marketing. Here is one of our favourite highlights from her session which sums up why storytelling is so effective:

“Storytelling is there to get you noticed. If you focus on this kind of marketing, the purpose is to prime the market. You want to get the message out to as many potential consumers as possible so that they know you exist and also that they remember you exist when they do decide they need your product. The key rule with this is about sharing your brand story. You’re trying to get people to remember you. Mass advertising like TV is a great option for this as it gets your brand out there to the maximum audience and helps to plant that memory anchor.”

Catch up on Sharon’s full session at stvgrowthacademy.tv.

TV evokes emotion more than any other media

 Storytelling is the cornerstone of TV’s effectiveness. Consumers want to invest in brands, which they have a personal connection with.

While facts and statistics are important, the storytelling aspect of TV advertising helps your audience to resonate with your brand on a personal level. This means that when consumers go to make a purchase, they will associate your brand with the emotional connection they made with your advert and are more likely to purchase from you. Research by Binet and Field has repeatedly shown that emotive advertising campaigns and those that have fame at the core of their strategy are by far the most effective at creating large business effects like sales and profit. In fact, they are 50% more likely to create these effects.

The Scottish EDGE ad is a great example of putting emotional storytelling into action. The team at Scottish EDGE wanted to increase brand awareness amongst the Scottish business landscape and promote Scottish EDGE’s Round 16 of funding. Their emotive ad celebrates the success of Scottish entrepreneurs to inspire the next generation of Scottish businesses. The response to the ad was fantastic. It resulted in an influx of direct visits to the Scottish EDGE website, unlike any other advertising used previously. What’s more, the team at Scottish EDGE experienced their busiest ever six-month period after closing a competition round and were also able to conduct successful fundraising as a result.

Check out the ad here

 What story can you tell your audience? 

Consider your brand. Is there something in your business that you can turn into a story? What emotion from your brand does your audience resonate with most? How can you make human connection part of your brand’s DNA?

At STV, we’ve worked with hundreds of Scottish businesses through the STV Growth Fund to support them to tell their brand story, engage locally, and ultimately grow their business and this year, we would love to welcome you. Get in touch with us today to find out how we can support you at stvgrowthfund@stv.tv.

 

Source: Thinkbox, March 2021: TV creates emotion & makes brands famous, Thinkbox, November 2017: 10 lessons for marketers from John Lewis’ ongoing success, Thinkbox, September 2020: Tesco: a true TV love story, Element Three, December 2020: Brand Storytelling Isn’t Just Important, It’s Absolutely Critical

 

An interview with Jo Halliday, CEO of Talking Medicines, about how the STV Growth Fund helps Jo grow her business

Television is rocket fuel for small businesses. It’s trusted, it’s memorable and it makes brands famous. SME’s can benefit from TV’s supercharging power and can trust that TV will deliver for them like nothing else.

TV advertising is great at cost-effectively reaching your audience at scale and growing your potential customer base and its mass reach allows for a huge untapped market of non-buyers to be converted to your consumers.

At STV, we are dedicated to providing Scottish businesses with opportunities to grow and thrive. That’s why our STV Growth Fund offers businesses across Scotland access to STV’s innovative marketing solutions earlier in their business journey to build their brand, engage with Scottish consumers and increase sales.

I’m delighted to share that this has been the case for STV Growth Fund member, Talking Medicines.

Talking Medicines are a Scottish healthcare data tech company that formed to serve the pharmaceutical and healthcare sectors. The team at Talking Medicines created the free app, Medsmart, designed to keep users on track when they or family members need to take medicines.

I recently caught up with Founder of Talking Medicines, Jo Halliday, to chat through her campaign and it was fantastic to hear such positive feedback on how the Growth Fund has helped grow her business. Read on to see what Jo had to say about the effects of TV advertising in her own words.

Jo, what excites you most about TV advertising?

“We were excited by the opportunity to try out a TV campaign for the first time – it felt like a big step to even consider it. We knew that the standard of creative would be high so we were also excited to be able to challenge ourselves on creating the best advert that we could with the Creative team at STV.”

A question that a lot of businesses think about when venturing onto TV for the first time is the cost of creating an advert. Would you say that building an advert from scratch is affordable to small businesses? 

“Yes. The % allocated to creative is low – low thousands, as it was handled by STV in house. I think that the creative fees are very low which allowed us to use the rest of our budget on getting as much as possible from the airtime to drive maximum return on investment.”

How did you find the process of creating your ad? 

“It was a straightforward process. We provided our brand guidelines and examples of how we have brought our brand Medsmart to life in our other creative. This was used as background for STV Creative to create a brief for our TV advert.

Early creative concepts were presented back, we agreed a creative route from those storyboards and then STV went into production. The whole process was completed within weeks. We came to the STV studios for part of the production such as the voice-over and for final approval.”

How has your campaign performed? 

“The results were impressive. We ran 3 campaigns and overall we doubled all of our metrics. Since our campaign, we have seen a 229% increase in website traffic and we have experienced a 133% uplift in app downloads.

We found goodwill around our brand grew during this period through people talking about it to each other. We also have a legacy in the creative that was produced as we have been able to use it in our social media and other marketing activities.”

Did the results from your campaign meet your expectations? 

“Yes, the overall results have exceeded expectations. It’s not easy to get people to change their behaviour and download an app. Advertising on STV is definitely an effective channel.”

What advice would you give to a business considering TV advertising for the first time?

“Be open-minded and go for it. Find out what options and support are available. Don’t worry about what stage you are at – worry about your objectives and how TV could possibly help you achieve them. Think big, TV is a mass channel but can also be targeted very locally.”

I’m delighted to work with local businesses such as Talking Medicines to support them to build their brand, engage locally and ultimately increase sales. 81% of Scots are reached by STV every month – that’s a lot of potential customers to put your brand in front of.

If you would like to find out how to maximise your marketing with the STV Growth Fund, drop me an email at jules.mckim@stv.tv.

 

Source: BARB, Jan-Jun 2021, adults, 09:30-29:59, Thinkbox 2019: As Seen on TV: supercharging your small business.

 

The power of purpose driven marketing to champion sustainability

Purpose is more important to consumers than ever before.  No matter the sector you are in, having a purpose outside of making profit is an important part of the customer experience.

Today’s consumers are more socially aware than ever before, armed with instant information, they realise the power they have. When it comes to sustainability, they are switching to more conscious, sustainable buying behaviour. To give you an idea, 75% of Scottish consumers care about a brand’s environmental and social credentials and over 1 in 2 Scots are likely to recommend a brand if it is environmentally friendly. The most successful brands reflect the values that their customers care about, so it’s no surprise that purpose-driven sustainable business is on the rise. Purpose-driven marketing represents a unique opportunity to be part of a community while earning customer loyalty and bolstering brand awareness.

What is purpose-driven marketing?

Purpose-driven marketing is a long-term strategy that involves a brand connecting with its audience on causes they both believe in. The brand messaging aligns with the customer’s beliefs and, in turn, that customer believes in and supports that brand. Purpose-driven marketing involves a communications plan that speaks more about how a brand does business, including organisation values, culture, business operations, and long-term initiatives.

Television is rocket fuel for brands embracing sustainability

Over the past year, we have been living in challenging times – but they are also times of powerful opportunities and a unique opportunity to lead for a better future. Businesses have a key role here – if we take the lead we can create sustainable growth by an increased awareness of values in marketing, one of the most powerful ways to do this is on TV.

Reach is critical for business growth, and no other form of marketing can build scale as quickly as TV. It’s the biggest lever you can pull to drive effectiveness. It makes brands famous, gets them talked about, and boosts marketing efficiency tenfold.

While facts and statistics are important, it’s the rich storytelling of TV that helps your audience resonate with you on a personal level. This means that when consumers go to make a purchase, they will associate your business with the emotional connection they made with your advert and are more likely to purchase from you.

An example of a purpose-driven campaign that’s worked brilliantly is Quality Meat Scotland’s ‘Make It’ campaign, which was directed at Scottish consumers who care about health, nutrition, and are interested in sustainability and where their food comes from. Quality Meat Scotland decided to maximise the marketing of their ‘Make It’ campaign with STV to inform their audience that Scotch Beef and Scotch Lamb not only has the highest possible animal welfare credentials but is also a healthy and nutritious option for quick and easy midweek meals.

The campaign included sponsorship bumpers produced by STV Creative alongside short infomercials featuring recipe inspiration and kitchen tips and hacks, which featured right across the STV schedule. The whole campaign was a huge success.

Lesley Cameron, Director of Marketing and Communications at QMS said:

“We are delighted with the results of the ‘Make It Scotch Beef’ campaign which have exceeded our initial expectations thanks to the creative mix of content that resonated with consumers. By profiling Scotch Beef PGI’s provenance, flavour, versatility and integrity, the campaign has delivered impressive reach for the Scottish red meat industry. This is particularly significant at a time when people are becoming more attuned to shopping local and learning more about where their ingredients are coming from.”

Check out one of the STV ads here.

Using purpose-driven content to make your voice heard

To connect consumers who are becoming more socially conscious, your brand can use purpose-driven creative to take a clear stance on specific issues—and then share it in inspiring campaigns. When you harness the power of creativity to boost your brand’s voice, consumers are more likely to tune in, take action, and become more loyal.

Here are some top tips to amplify your brand with purpose-driven marketing creative:

1. Match your brand to a meaningful cause.

When brands take a stand on the cultural, political, or social issues that matter to them, they also connect more powerfully with consumers. So align your brand purpose with causes that match it. What story can you tell about your involvement in these issues? Be creative—but select a cause that shares your common values or areas of focus.

2. Collaborate with key partners.

The power of any message spreads exponentially as more voices join the cause. So find other brands, non-profit organisations or influencers that champion the causes you are passionate about—and then work together to generate new approaches.

3. Activate a community, creatively.

Be creative in how you inspire action – think beyond a “Donate Now” button to consider active, playful ways for your audience to participate. Additionally, use creativity to gain momentum – figure out what motivates your audience to care about the cause and brainstorm ways you can build on their passion.

No matter your size, embracing purpose-driven marketing is an extremely effective way to open up partnership opportunities and introduce you to a broader audience, helping to generate revenue and increase awareness. Above all, having a purpose helps make the world better by making a positive, long-lasting impact. That’s a legacy all brands can get behind.

If you’re a Scottish business that’s championing sustainability, check out the support that is available through STV Green Fund. We’ve committed £1million of STV advertising airtime to make TV advertising more accessible for sustainable Scottish businesses to promote their eco-credentials. Find out more at: https://www.stvcommercial.tv/stv-green-fund/

 

Source: ScotPulse, 2020, Thinkbox, March 2021: TV creates emotion & makes brands famous, Thinkbox, 2016: Creative Drivers of Effectiveness, Media Reach, 2020: The Success of Sustainable Messaging in Marketing Campaigns, Bragg Media, 2020:  Is your business missing out on purpose-driven marketing?

 

A new to TV advertising journey: Fresh Car Valeting

In 2020, Sam Brennan, Founder of Fresh Car Valeting was awarded the first-ever STV Growth EDGE Award at the Round 16 Scottish EDGE Awards.

Sam received a fantastic prize of £75,000 of gifted airtime courtesy of the STV Growth Fund. Since then, we have been working closely with Sam to maximise his marketing and put his business in front of Scots right across the country.

Keep reading to find out how Fresh Car Valeting got their business up in lights on STV, from initial ad concepts to the finished result.

The brief

The objective of the advert was to showcase the convenience of booking through Fresh Car Valeting’s brand new app, to increase brand awareness and to maximise sales across the Central Belt of Scotland.

It was important to Sam and his team that their TV ad portrayed their brand’s personality and identity – friendly, professional, well organised, and reliable.

Fresh Car Valeting also wanted their creative to be utilised across various media platforms including social media and radio.

Making it happen

Taking on board the campaign objectives, STV Creative, STV’s in-house creative agency, brought to life 4 different creative concepts for the Fresh Car Valeting advert. With Fresh Car Valeting being first-time TV advertisers, the team at STV Creative ensured each concept introduced the brand to STV viewers whilst also promoting the new Fresh Car Valeting app.

After sampling scripts, voiceovers, and ideas for music, Sam decided on a final concept that would move into production, all whilst working remotely and through virtual meetings!

“Working with the STV team has been a fantastic experience. I haven’t been involved in producing a TV ad before. They’ve been very accommodating and made the process really easy” – Sam Brennan, Director of Fresh Car Valeting

The final result

The first ever Fresh Car Valeting ad sees dirt inside a car come to life as funny characters that encourage Scots to book a car valet through the Fresh app. It’s definitely one to remember – check it out and see for yourself here!

Given STV’s unrivalled reach, the new ad is set to engage with Scottish consumers right across the Central Belt of Scotland, appearing in amongst top shows such as The Chase, Coronation Street, and This Morning.

It’s been a privilege to partner with Evelyn McDonald and the team at Scottish EDGE on the STV Growth EDGE Award and I can’t wait to see how the support will help to grow even more brilliant businesses like Fresh Car Valeting at Scottish EDGE competitions in future.

“With consumer exposure being more critical now than ever, I’m delighted to see the first STV Growth EDGE winner’s Ad come together in such an engaging manner. As fellow recipients of STV advertising airtime as part of the Scottish EDGE and STV partnership, I hope Fresh Car Care will see the same great level of success that we have experienced in reaching a wider audience.”

80% of Scots are reached by STV each month – that’s a lot of potential customers to put your businesses in front of! If you would like to find out how we can bring your brand to life on STV and begin your TV advertising journey, drop me an email at: jules.mckim@stv.tv.

A little bit about the STV Growth Fund

At STV, we are committed to growing a strong, successful, and vibrant economic future for Scotland. That’s why we want to invest in Scottish businesses today. We launched the STV Growth Fund in May 2018 to make it easier for Scottish businesses to advertise on television. Since then, we have welcomed over 200 new STV advertisers enabling businesses to build their brand, engage locally, and increase sales.

STV reaches more adults in Scotland than any other TV channel, radio station, or newspaper. This mass reach means you can connect your business with more customers, more quickly on our credible and trusted media.

Working with the Growth Fund is easy. You work directly with one of our team members who partner with you to understand your objectives, who you want to reach, and how much you want to spend. From there we collaborate to find the marketing solutions that are going to help you reach Scots and grow your business.

To find out how your business can achieve fantastic results like these through the support from the STV Growth Fund, visit stvgrowthfund.tv.

 

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