Building a Strong Brand Identity and Brand Loyalty
I spent the first decade of my marketing career split between scientific marketing and grassroots but I always had an interest in creative advertising. In my youth, I wanted to be a writer for SNL and a music video director, then I learned about advertising and it was the best of both worlds combined.
When I got hired by System76, I was hired on as the sole marketer. The marketing strategy was my call. Having spent those recent five years in email and lead gen marketing, I was ready to do anything but, and primarily I was hungry to unleash wild ideas.
A Paradigm Shift: From PPC to Authenticity:
Very luckily, the company took a leap of faith. Even though what I was proposing had no basis, I made the bold decision to slash the digital ad budget by 75%. I decided that instead of pouring money into Pay-Per-Click (PPC) advertising, the focus would shift towards fostering the brand and building community engagement. The shift marked the beginning of a transformative journey, where the brand's personality and values took center stage.
Cultivating Strong Brand Positioning:
My first campaign was the 4th of July: a holiday about freedom and the celebration of independence, etc. Which was symbiotic with System76's ethos in open source technology and the right to choose, customize, and repair your computers. For this campaign, we asked people to tweet and tell us ‘why open source freedom is important.’ Every tweet would lower our computer prices in realtime. And when users went to the website, not only could you see the prices drop, you could see if your tweet would appear on the homepage. We grew 5,000 twitter followers at campaign launch and the company had its highest summer sales in history. From then on, System76’s brand identity began to take shape through consistent communication that showcased the company's values, beliefs, and culture. By expressing the brand's authentic voice, System76 forged a relatable connection with its customers.
Crafting a Memorable Brand Personality:
System76 had very good bones to work with when I started there. For starters, the brand stood for something. But additionally, they already an identifiable personality. One of the support reps there was previously in the marketing role managing their social media. Emma has a magic powers of authenticity, and mores, she’s a rockstar at creating a brand. She’s so good at it that she has a personal brand, which I think is really hard to do! Everyone online who knows Emma, knows she loves pink, and unicorns, and is bright and warm. When I came to System76 to take over social media, she had already nurtured a loyal and personable following. I truly believe that the only reason any marketing endeavors that were successful stemmed because of what Emma had already nurtured.
Here are a few things that Emma had been doing in social media:
Geek jokes. Not all of these were computer related, sometimes they were film or movie related.
Trivia facts.
Personable banter in the comments
When you read the posts and the comments, they looked like they were conversations between friends and you wanted to be involved. I used this as inspiration to work on compaigns that felt like inside jokes that you’d only get if you’re somewhat of a computer nerd. Through the creative campaigns, System76 continued to position itself as an industry leader that champions user-centric products and prioritizes customer satisfaction. This deliberate positioning resonated with customers seeking innovative and reliable solutions.
The Power of Visual Identity:
While Emma was the key to creating a customer culture, System76 had a designer with a strong personality and vision. This worked well in the stage of establishing a strong brand personality. I don’t think I would have visually or naturally thought to lean into robot narratives or push the inner-geekiness of such obscure topics and visuals as the designer would. Her eagerness to get into the nooks of hidden weirdness in conjunction with what Emma had created culturally was a magic combination to cement the brand’s loyal following.
The Psychology Behind Building Brand Loyalty:
System76's commitment to building a loyal community went beyond aesthetics and digital community engagement. We aimed for deep connection and to do things untapped by other marketers. That year, we launched the Superfan event. We asked customers to send us projects that they were working on with their computer for a chance to get flown out to headquarters to play games and get a sneak peek at products.
The Payoff: An Engaged and Active Community:
Through the concerted efforts in branding and community-building, System76 has garnered remarkable results. The company's authentic approach resonated with users, resulting in a robust online community with over 77K Twitter followers and over 10K YouTube subscribers. The engaged community became advocates, spreading positive word-of-mouth and further solidifying the brand's reputation.
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System76's journey exemplifies the transformative potential of branding. By prioritizing authenticity, brand personality, and visual identity, the company carved a lasting niche in the market. The strong brand positioning and community engagement cultivated brand loyalty, paving the way for continued success and a thriving, active customer base. The art of branding is a powerful force that allows companies to transcend mere transactions and build meaningful relationships with their audience.
