FIVE THINGS YOU NEED TO BUILD A TRUSTED AND BELOVED BRAND
Originally published in Authority Magazine.
As a part of our series about how to create a trusted, believable, and beloved brand, I had the pleasure to interview Brittany Woitas.
Fueled by a passion for creating elevated brands that transform businesses, Brittany’s expertise and respected education are instrumental in leading Kōvly Studio, a brand and marketing firm. Leveraging experience working with organizations ranging from large, Fortune 100 companies to small, family-owned businesses, Brittany founded Kōvly Studio to elevate business success by strategically connecting organizations to their most profitable target market.
Data-driven, strategic, and focused, Brittany supports business leaders by directly connecting brand and marketing efforts to business goals.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?
In the beginning of my career, I spent a decade being told no.
From that first opportunity to step into the marketing industry to going after a new role, I — like so many — had to push through roadblock after roadblock to build my career. The traditional corporate ladder felt constricting to me, and after working at both large, Fortune 100 companies and small, family owned businesses, I realized that I had to pave my own path to feel truly fulfilled in my career.
So, the day after my husband and I closed on our house, I put in my two weeks’ notice and started building a business.
Kōvly Studio started out as a way for me to grow at my own pace; a place where I would have freedom to do the work I really cared about without the confining walls of corporate structure.
But it evolved into something so much more than that.
Over the next 8 years, the business grew quickly — and so did I. Suddenly I was managing an overwhelming client workload while also learning how to lead a team effectively. Like so many entrepreneurs, I experienced countless lessons about resiliency, authentic leadership, and the importance of being willing to pivot when things weren’t going as planned.
This all led to where we are today.
We’re a team of 12 with an intentional vision to create unforgettable brands for hospitality, high-end service and premium goods companies. Our work is about business growth and customer loyalty — and that’s how we measure success.
Can you share a story about the funniest marketing mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
My word, there are so many! Those mistakes, I believe, truly provided some of the most impactful lessons that helped me get to where I am today.
One lesson I learned early on was about fear-based marketing. We see it everywhere, don’t we? “Gloom and doom are surely ahead if you don’t act now.”
One of my first marketing jobs was for a basement waterproofing company. Every time it rained, we’d build digital ad campaigns with the general tone of, “Is your basement flooding and your most important investment being destroyed?”
What’s wrong with this? Sure, homeowners may be stressed during these times. However, my approach just fueled that fear and had an inherent negative impact on my company’s brand.
Instead, I learned about human-first marketing and showing the solution to not only their homes but also their families’ well-being and peace of mind. Once we shifted to marketing campaigns focused on happy families in safe homes, the brand reputation completely shifted, and leads skyrocketed.
What do you think makes your company stand out? Can you share a story?
Easy: Intention, relationship, and kindness (always).
Each client we work with starts with strategy. Whether their ultimate goal is to execute digital marketing to maintain dominance or launch a new brand confidently, beginning with a strong foundation allows us to execute every element with intention.
That, coupled with the fact that we are a boutique agency with a team of 12, allows us to work super closely with every single client. This intimate experience gives us so much more depth and insight into the brands we work with, resulting in really elevated work.
Are you working on any exciting new projects now? How do you think that will help people?
How much time do we have?!
One really special project we’re working on is part of our philanthropic commitment. Dr. Leonard’s Cancer Research Fund is an organization that raises funds to support the research of an incredible non-toxic cancer therapy. In short, the research is training salmonella — yes, what causes food poisoning — to kill cancer cells. It’s proven to be very effective and, even more impressive, has absolutely zero side effects.
Ok let’s now jump to the core part of our interview. In a nutshell, how would you define the difference between brand marketing (branding) and product marketing (advertising)? Can you explain?
Easy. Your brand is the heart and soul of your business, and marketing is simply the stories you share to connect and build relationships.
Can you explain to our readers why it is important to invest resources and energy into building a brand, in addition to the general marketing and advertising efforts?
It’s not important. It’s imperative.
From opening a new restaurant to building a private practice, every business faces the challenge of options. Your clients and customers have access to options globally to solve whatever problem you can help them with.
Developing a robust brand and marketing strategy is a necessity to stand out to your ideal audience and create a strong, unwavering loyalty.
Can you share 5 strategies that a company should be doing to build a trusted and believable brand?
Define Your Brand Essence — How do you want your audience to feel? Identify 6–9 descriptor words and reference this for every customer touchpoint. One of our clients worked through this with our team and used it to redesign their website, refine marketing efforts, and even train their sales team. Since then, they’ve received more qualified leads and increased sales conversions because their customer feels so comfortable through each step of their process.
Assess Your Differentiators — We’re not talking basic features and benefits here, friends. What makes you stand head and shoulders above your competition? One funny example is with a client we worked with who had always boasted that their products were American made. After doing a competitive analysis, all of their competitors boasted the same thing, some with literal bald eagles and American flags as the header images on their websites. Ensure your differentiators aren’t just adding to the noise for your customers.
Refine Your Brand Voice — “We know who we’re trying to reach, but what in the world should we say?” Sound familiar? With the above completed, develop a brand thesaurus. We generally create a list of words and phrases that can be used across marketing. With a distinctive brand voice, we were able to drive 80% of bookings for a boutique hotel client, saving them thousands in fees from third-party booking platforms.
Objectively Audit Your Identity — You love the color green. I get it. Me too. But how does that attract your audience and drive sales? Researching the psychology behind shades of colors, fonts, textures, and photography styling and choosing elements based on that will be invaluable for your brand. We did this as part of a strategic planning project for a private practice client and they’ve since grown by 40% in just six months.
Human-First, Always — As I shared earlier, lean into this approach over fear-based or “act now” messaging. If you approach your brand as the heart and soul of your business and then use marketing share how you can help your customer, you’ll be able to create truly authentic connections with them that last.
In your opinion, what is an example of a company that has done a fantastic job building a believable and beloved brand. What specifically impresses you? What can one do to replicate that?
One brand that I’ve been following closely — and enjoying as a consumer — for over a year now is Cann. Their brand feels approachable, witty, social, and fun.
In an industry like THC, there is so much need for education and providing a safe, trustworthy way for consumers to explore and learn more about it. From their brand identity to the perfectly curated copy they use across every marketing channel, the brand feels like it could be an old friend who you’re happily reconnecting with.
The simplicity in messaging, consistent brand voice, and psychology-backed identity are elements that every single brand can focus on to create a truly unforgettable brand that invites you right in and makes you want to be a part of the “club.”
In advertising, one generally measures success by the number of sales. How does one measure the success of a brand building campaign? Is it similar, is it different?
Our goal is that brand and marketing strategies are directly tied to business goals. From leads to product sales, your strategy should allow your team to assess the effectiveness of your brand and how that supports marketing efforts.
For example, with specific A/B campaigns, you could test the effectiveness of brand voice, photography styling, etc., and then use that to finalize your brand development.
What role does social media play in your branding efforts?
Social media has become trickier for businesses because of algorithm changes. However, with a strong brand strategy, businesses can still make the most of these channels because they’ll have the toolkit they need to create strong relationships and communities around their brands. It’s important to remember that social media is really an engagement tool (not a billboard).
You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)
I think a lot about living a life that is purpose-driven; uncovering your authentic self and what fuels you. To me, if more people could feel purpose in their lives, it would trigger so many incredible things that would have an exponential impact on the world.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
“You are confined only by the walls you build yourself.” — Andrew Murphy
Growing up in a pretty rural area with a pretty traditional and conservative subculture, I had some pretty limiting beliefs about myself even into adulthood. Through an incredible network and support system, I’ve been able to break through those walls and accomplish more than I had ever even dreamed of.
We are blessed that very prominent leaders in business and entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world with whom you would like to have a lunch or breakfast with? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. :-)
I have literally always dreamed of meeting Sara Blakely, the founder of Spanx. I am in awe of how she chose to build her business with authenticity, and she broke through countless barriers to create an iconic brand.
Read the original article by Authority Magazine.