Tailor your communication to your target audience
HI-5 don't seem to be clear about who their target audience is. They might think their clients are boys and girls under five, but what they do and how they portray themselves doesn’t reflect this.
Their songs and dance moves are complicated and seem targeted for an older group of clients.
Their appearance is also very complex, involving lots of different colours and with each person wearing a different style.
On the other hand, The Wiggles seem very confident about who their ideal clients are. Like Hi-5, they’re appealing to boys and girls up to five years old. The difference is that they’ve tailored their songs, appearance and branding to exactly that audience.
Their songs and dance moves are simple, uncomplicated and easy to understand, repeat and remember. Any complex dance moves are left to their support dancers, and in most cases, are performed in the background rather than the centre of the stage.
There are two marketing insights here. Firstly, it doesn’t serve us well to try to be all things to all people. Trying to cover all bases may leave potential clients struggling to understand exactly what you can do for them.
Secondly, there’s a lot to be said for being clear on your key message and repeating it over and over until your clients are repeating it for you. Watch the index fingers of any child spring into action when they hear ‘Hot potato’… that’s the kind of brand recognition we should all be striving for.
Consistency is key
The Wiggles are famous for their wardrobe, which is simple, uncomplicated, predictable and easy for their clients to identify with. If a guy is in The Wiggles and wearing a purple shirt, it must be Jeff. If his shirt is blue, it must be Anthony. And so on for Murray and Sam in their red and yellow shirts.
Each member dresses the same for consistency. Even when one of the original Wiggles left, they kept his skivvy in play to make it easy for the kids to continue to relate to the band as a whole.
Can your clients expect such consistency from your brand and your business?
Keep it simple
The role of each of the members of Hi-5 isn’t clearly defined. Yes, they all sing and dance far better than I can, but they also seem to want to out-perform and out-dazzle their teammates, with the upshot being that their appearance on screen or stage is very busy.
On the other hand, each of The Wiggles has a simple, well-defined role. Jeff sleeps; Anthony loves fruit salads; Murray likes to play music and Sam likes to sing!
They each seem comfortable in their roles and don't feel the need to over-perform to get noticed.
Don't overcomplicate your message or how you describe the benefits you can provide your clients. And don’t shoot yourself in the foot by trying to steal the limelight from colleagues who are there to support you – instead present a united front, and reap the benefits.
Reputation lasts longer than you think
I must confess that I’m partial to The Wiggles because I used to enjoy watching them back in the 80s when they were The Cockroaches.
It just goes to show that every action you take in your business today has unimaginable implications for the future. And no matter where you start out, your destiny may be somewhere very, very different.
What do you think of these marketing insights? Am I onto something here? Get a Wiggle on and leave your comments below.
“ There’s a lot to be said for being clear on your message and repeating it over and over until your clients are repeating it for you. ”
Deb Pilgrim works specifically with woman entrepreneurs who want to take their business from ordinary to extraordinary. She does this by taking them through a step-by-step process that teaches them how to consistently grow their business.
