On February 28th Olivia Pope and her team of associates were back after a long hiatus, and fans rejoiced. For those of you who don’t watch the highly addictive ABC drama Scandal, Olivia Pope is an expert crisis communications consultant who has assisted almost every high profile politician in D.C portrayed on the phone. Her most high-profile client has been President Fitzgerald Grant; she helped him make it to the White House for his first term, and now she’s on board for his reelection campaign. The way Pope approaches the Grant name is similar to the way marketers approach their brand. What is the core message? Who is in the target demographic? Which marketing techniques will get your message across? Ms. Pope always seems to know the answer, and even though Fitz’s poll numbers are down after his last, ahem, scandal, we know Pope’s expert communication skills will bring him back on top. Are you hoping to market your brand with the same precision and success that Ms. Pope brings to the Grant campaign? Here are some ways marketers can learn from our favorite gladiator:
Assess the Demographic-
To whom is your brand targeted? Even if you’re equipped with all of the right marketing platforms, they won’t be beneficial unless the right audience is receiving them. Pope would never suggest that Fitz, a 50 year old Republican, focus on all Americans- it would be a waste of time! Figure out who would best fit your brand, and figure out the best way to reach them. Use Survey Monkey or Google Customer Surveys if you need help narrowing your demographic and learning more about their interests.
Find a message and stick with it-
Try to describe your brand in just a few words. Can you do it? In Fitz’s first campaign, Olivia takes Fitz as a client because she knows he can be a great president, but knows the world won’t see it unless they find a core message that allows their target demographics to connect to him. Once she learns more about Fitz, she encourages him to be honest with the American public, to not fear being vulnerable. She wants trustworthy, passionate, and humble to be key words when people think about Fitz. When assessing your brand, think about what key words you want your demographics to think of when they see your name. The universal message of the brand should overall embody what you’re trying to say to your public. Keep it simple!
Keep track of the numbers-
Getting the message out to your demographics is only the beginning. Just like Olivia Pope keeps a sharp eye on the poll numbers and political media outlets, you have numbers to keep track of. If you have a social media account like Facebook or Twitter, keep track of the likes, retweets, and mentions. Note how many positive and negative comments are being written about your brand, and analyze what you can do to fix a problem or continue the positive hype. Use sites like SocialMention.com, or Google Analytics to keep track of your progress. Once your message is out there, it is your job to see it succeeds.
Have an end goal-
What are you hoping to get out of marketing your brand? Perhaps it is brand awareness, or you have a specific percentage in mind. Have a goal, and see to it that you do all you can to achieve it. When Olivia Pope takes on a project, she does everything she can to conquer her end goal. Once she does, “it’s handled.” Give yourself the opportunity to say that utterly satisfying phrase by setting a realistic yet profitable goal and finishing with success. If your goal seems to be unattainable, take time to assess why that is, and what changes you need to make within your brand.
If you’re looking for a way to get your brand on the map and can’t seem to find Olivia Pope’s phone number, receive social media and marketing tips from InSegment instead!