The separation between brand and customer is almost always an equation of value given or value restrained.
Value can obviously be defined a million different ways – from positive product experiences to superior service to how you communicate with customers.
But what doesn’t change costumes no matter the input or output equation?
It’s up to you to determine how helpful you’re willing to be without the golden guarantee that you’ll seen a return on your investment.
I sat on a Google Hangout with a client yesterday and discussed the difference between features and values, namely how to instill a clear understanding of what makes a product valuable without being obnoxiously self-promotional or overbearing.
It’s a tricky balance when you view value through the lens of features sets and benefits – or more appropriately – a give and take between brand and customer.
The ability to anticipate where value may lie comes from understanding before explaining – both of the common challenges your customers face in the day to day, but also a keen understanding of what value looks like before its shot out of a marketing cannon.
Which means that owning value is not mutually exclusive from the importance of owning any other aspect of the brand.
Try removing the ROI filter for just a moment, and you’ll find a very simple view of value staring you down:
When you stop identifying what your product or service does FOR the customer, but what you want the customer to EXPERIENCE as a result of this interaction – you’ll start owning value that no pitch or promotion can artificially manufacture.