I was doing video work with IBM one time (many times, actually, but this particular incident only happened once) and my client asked me, “Do you know an agency that can produce an interactive software demo for us?”
Yes, I said, we can. My agency had produced many demos for IBM. But she thought of us as that video company.
Recently I was doing customer interviews for a client and their customer said that while he understood all of the current technologies my client provided, many others thought of them as being kind of old fashioned because they also provided support for a very old technology. (It would kind of be like a company that did print but also – mostly — web development and mobile app development, but people thinking of them as just a print company.)
This is a branding problem. And it’s common. Often companies occupy a particular place in the customer’s mind, or more broadly the market’s collective mind, and aren’t recognized for other things they do as well or better. It’s been remarkable, actually, so see how a few brands like Amazon and Virgin have been able to avoid this while expanding into many fields.
My client needs to update their appearance and messaging. Stop highlighting that old technology on their website and emphasize the new. They may need to do a branding campaign targeted to their industry. It could have a big impact on their business.
What are you known for? Is it what you want to be known for?
