Small Business Promotion Coach

Gene Simmons started the rock band Kiss back in 1973. To this day the band still has legions of rabid followers.  Wild costumes and a theatrical stage show caught the attention of kids around the world. The music however, was straight pop music at times even leaning towards disco.

If you saw Stefani Germanotta walking through Wal-Mart wearing jeans, a tee shirt, and no makeup you might not even notice her. But change her name to Lady Gaga, throw on some rubber clothes, a wild wig, and huge sun glasses and suddenly she’s a teenage boy’s wet dream.

I have listened to enough to enough of her music to realize that it is standard pop music. This hasn’t stopped her from selling millions of albums. How can this be?

While I am not a big fan of their music, I am truly in awe of both Gene Simmons’s and Lady Gaga’s marketing abilities.

Both Simons and Gaga are clearly brilliant marketers who understand how to use the power of attention to create brands that earn them millions of dollars.

Here are a few lessons we can learn from these two remarkable marketers that you can apply to your small business.

Plan Your Brand

Simmons and Gaga both created their brands through hard work. It may seem like something that “just happened” but it is in fact the result of consistent hard work aimed at a specific target.

Don’t leave something so vital to the success of your business up to chance. Your business must have a USP (Unique Selling Proposition), something that makes your business stand out. Something that answers the question in your customers head “Why should I visit your store/office/shop/etc. instead of your competitions”.

Get attention

I’m not sure who had it harder Gene and his band or Lady Gaga. There is certainly more “background noise” now then there was back when Kiss was getting started.

Ultimately it doesn’t matter. We are living now and must play the cards were dealt. There is far more competition for your customer’s attention now then there was in the early 70’s. But at the same time there are now far more ways for you to connect with your clients today.

Just like an entertainer, you must work to make your small business stand out. You need a “tribe” to form around what you do. You can’t do this by being the same as your competitors.  You’re not going to succeed by being a “little better” than your competition. You must truly stand out.

If Kiss had just adopted the makeup without the outrageous costumes and the terrific stage show they would have faded away with their pop contemporaries.

Be consistent.

Lady Gaga isn’t just a stage persona. She is “in costume” whenever she is in public. Kiss did much the same thing by simply never being seen when not on the stage.

Disney does a great job of this with their theme parks. Consistency is a huge part of the experience. They realize that it is the experience that you will have with your family that justifies the cost. It is the details that create the experience. You never see overflowing garbage cans or one of the people who play “Mickey” walking around without the head on.

Make sure that your customers receive consistent great service when they choose to spend their hard earned cash with you.

I love the Pilot V7 rolling ball pen. Even though I have a box of pens, I will spend 20 minutes looking for my V7 when I need a pen. That is the power of a brand. They cost more than many other pens. But I don’t care. I like them and so I am willing to pay the price.

Consumers are loyal to the brands that they have grown to trust. Your job as a business owner is to create and maintain that brand. Learn from Simmons, Gaga, and build you business into a brand that keeps customers coming back over and over again.