Have you ever wondered how major brands seem to be everywhere all at once? Bryan Alston breaks down the marketing strategies that lead to a well-loved, successful brand–both in stores and online.
Bryan is a consultant, CMO, and Co-Founder of Brand Castle Growth Partners. He is an expert in driving ROI for growing companies using cutting-edge performance marketing and growth hacking tactics. Amid a plethora of shortsighted, short-term growth strategies, his tactics are based on a big-picture view of the marketing landscape and ecosystem.
Bryan’s former company Greater Than reached #198 on the Inc. 5000 list in 2022. He’s also led brand launches for major companies such as Magic Spoon and The Gap.
The Value of an Omnichannel Approach
With experience in both retail and cutting-edge digital marketing, Bryan helps his clients take a holistic approach to mastering both channels. For digital companies, e-commerce can help them validate their product and prove to retail buyers that they’ll be able to drive foot traffic in stores. Companies that create demand online have more leverage in retail deals.
For cash-strapped startups, Bryan recommends starting with e-commerce. There’s a low barrier to entry and it’s a much faster way to get your brand out there, test your messaging, and get to know your customers. Once you’ve validated your product and understand your market, expanding to retail can help you reach new people.
Building your brand online is essential for retail success. In stores, your sales rely on product placement and packaging. With so many products for customers to choose from, the most reliable strategy is to build your online presence and use influencer marketing. Most retail shoppers choose brands they’re already familiar with. At scale, word-of-mouth drives incredible growth in retail.
Focus on Your Customers
The biggest mistake Bryan sees brands make in both retail and digital marketing is a lack of customer-centricity. Many brands go into retail too aggressively or too early, without getting to know their customers. Often, there’s a mismatch between who the company thinks their customer is and who they actually are.
For example, most brands think of their competitors in terms of similar products; a protein bar company that competes against other protein bars. But in reality, your product is competing against every other product or distraction that commands your customer’s attention. Understanding your ideal customer’s lifestyle and what goes on in their daily life is essential–you need to know how your product fits into that picture.
Enjoy this episode with Founder Bryan Alston…
Quotes

“The biggest mistake is lack of customer centricity.”
“There are all sorts of other things that could be going on in this customer’s life and having a very broad understanding of her lifestyle and how your product can fit into it and help alleviate just one pain, one decision she doesn’t have to make…those things matter.”
“If you look at most businesses and why they fail, usually one of the biggest culprits is a mismatch between who you think your customer is and who they actually are–and making the wrong decisions because of that.”
“People see getting into Target or into stores as the holy grail, like you’ve made it–but it’s actually not. That’s the starting line.”
Links mentioned in this episode:

Podcast Resources
Visit Bryan’s website: https://www.brandcastle.co/
Connect with Bryan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bralston/

Connect with The Business of You
Visit the Business of You on the web
Like The brandiD on Facebook
Follow The brandiD on LinkedIn
Join us on Instagram
Learn more about Branding on The brandiD Blog