DTC POD - #231 - Vasa Martinez: Product Positioning & Brand Building 101

1️⃣ One Sentence Summary

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Vasa Martinez discusses brand building, product positioning, and his journey.

Interview Breakdown

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In today's exposition, our guest Vasa Martinez takes us through his journey from being an unpaid intern to starting his marketing agency and finally creating his own brand, Perfy. Along the way, he elucidates the factors that were critical to his success and his strategies in branding and product positioning. In this episode, we will cover - How Vasa Martinez started his own Social Media Marketing Agency called 'Growthbuster.' - The decision-making process behind creating his own brand, Perfy, and what it represents. - His unique approach towards brand positioning, focusing on mental fitness and brain health. - The evolving strategies his marketing agency has adopted over time, from organic social media content to paid ads. - The upcoming launch of their application and the potential for integrating NFTs into their business. Don't miss this powerful episode showcasing the diligent work and inspiring journey of a true innovator in the beverage market.

🔑 7 Key Themes

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1. Building brand through unique product positioning 2. Importance of creativity in content creation 3. Using technology for customer engagement 4. Role of organic social media strategies 5. Understanding and navigating competitive markets 6. Utilizing NFTs in brand promotion 7. Considerations in developing healthy beverage products

💬 Keywords

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Vasa Martinez, Quest Nutrition, Growthbuster, social media marketing, Magic Spoon, Legendary Foods, Perfy, low-sugar soda, nootropics, adaptogens, mental fitness, content creation, influencer marketing, graphic design, retail initiatives, organic social media content, paid ads, print design, brand health beverages, unique ingredients, aldeonine, ashwagandha, turmeric, novel technology, Shopify, QR codes, NFTs, user-generated content, NFT ambassadors, creative briefs.

🎞️ Clipfinder: Quotes, Hooks, & Timestamps

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Vasa Martinez 00:03:10 00:03:20

"Overcoming Adversity and Finding Purpose: So I dug deeper and deeper into the agency, and it's no wonder why the agency did well, but my personal health went to shit. So I wanted to do something that was a little bit more impactful."

Vasa Martinez 00:03:41 00:03:53

"Mental Fitness and Innovative Solutions: 'What if I applied these two things together and created a soda that's just as delicious as a full sugar soda, not even a diet soda, way more delicious than a sparkling water and had it be good for your brain.'"

Vasa Martinez 00:05:10 00:05:16

"Growth through Content Creation: You can't just post pictures of your product. It's got to balance information and entertainment and a bunch of other things. There has to be a goal behind it."

Vasa Martinez 00:07:00 00:07:01

"Entrepreneurial Journey: I ultimately became their CMO and they were a small mom and pop shop doing X amount per month. Now they're doing 5000% more than that from when we first started."

Vasa Martinez 00:10:08 00:10:23

"Understanding Viral Content Creation: But they don't really chime into what problem are we solving, what's the goal? And most importantly, what part of the funnel are we in? So from a creative perspective, if you're running certain ads, top funnel, middle funnel and bottom funnel, you're saying different things."

Vasa Martinez 00:14:56 00:15:12

"Foundations of Creativity in Food and Beverage Branding: The foundational element of creativity is how do you set up your positioning statement? To me, that is the Rosetta Stone of any brand. And there is a positive correlation between brands that know that like the back of their hand and how well they do, and the brands that are figuring out everyone's figuring it out."

Vasa Martinez 00:20:21 00:20:33

"Importance of Content Organization: And I think that the more that you are diligent in saving your content out, you never know how much repurposing you can do with that sort of stuff. So having that like a bank of content is important. Identifying your content pillars is important. Is this informational, is this educational or is this a hero post?"

Vasa Martinez 00:30:04 00:30:18

"Evolving E-commerce with NFTs: So my goal is to take this technology, gate things with the key. So your NFT is your key to unlock. You connect your wallet, says, oh, they have the perfume NFT or the doodles NFT or whatever NFT. They can access certain things that the general customer can't."

Vasa Martinez 00:38:45 00:39:02

"Importance of Non-Concentrate Juices: When you have a concentrate juice, think of it like as you just squeezed an orange juice. Imagine extracting all of that water, freezing it, shipping it to another place, adding water back in, stirring it, and then putting it in your drink. That was a big point of difference for me, that it was part of the guardrails in my brand creative brief."

Vasa Martinez 00:41:57 00:42:11

"Mental Fitness Industry Growth: The mental fitness industry is three times the size of functional carbonated soft drink, 337,000,000,000 last year, and functional carbonated soft drink was, I think, 117,000,000,000, and they're both going to grow at plus 5% CAGR over the next five, seven years."

📚 Timestamped overview

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02:26 Created social media agency, won awards, personal loss, wanted more impact, loves soda.

06:21 GB expanded to various areas of marketing, excluding web development. They collaborated with other brands like Outer Island, leading to significant growth. This experience prepared the narrator to start their own venture.

10:08 Defining problem, goal, and funnel in marketing.

14:45 Creativity in food and beverage brand's success.

17:41 Organic social fighting on Instagram: Pay or crush better content. Sync visuals and caption for likes.

19:52 Planning is key; organization saves content.

23:26 Diverse guests bring valuable insights and advantages.

27:54 Embrace open-mindedness, explore diverse channels for innovation.

29:38 Exclusive links for select customers; NFT unlocks.

31:56 September/October retail launch with limited availability.

38:23 Safe, tasty, anytime drink without concentrate

41:47 Soda sales soar, mental fitness industry booms.

42:31 Fascinating positioning on beverage branding decisions.

46:17 Insightful discussion on branding and growth.

❇️ Key topics and bullets

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1. Introduction of Guest: Vasa Martinez - Vasa's early career at Quest Nutrition - Founding of his social media agency Growthbuster and its evolution - Creation of Perfy, a low-sugar soda intended for brain health and mental fitness 2. Discussing Vasa's Brand: Perfy - Unique ingredients used for differentiation - Guardrails for the brand (i.e., limiting sugar and calories) - Market trends and product positioning 3. Vasa's Insight on Brand Positioning & Building - Importance of creativity and original visual representation - Exploring the potential of implementing NFTs - Importance of UGC and transparency with UGC creators - Role of creative agencies in brand building and positioning 4. Perfy's Growth - Current status and future plans for expansion - Launching a loyalty platform to gamify customer experience 5. Vasa's Take on Content Creation for Advertising - Importance of a meaningful, engaging content bank - Different content pillars (informational, educational, etc.) - Importance of saves and shares over likes and comments on social media platforms 6. Perfy's Organic Social Media Strategy - Use of solely organic social media for growth - Scaling organic social media according to brand goals 7. Discussion on NFTs and Web Three Technology - Vasa's study and applications of NFTs for Perfy - Concept of using NFTs as brand ambassadors 8. Vasa's Book Recommendation - Mention of "Forging An Ironclad Brand" by Lindsay Peterson 9. Conclusion - Vasa's contact details - Teaser for future release of Perfume Miami - Invitation for Vasa to return for another episode - Hosts' closing remarks. 10. The Next Perfy Release - Announcement of Perfume Miami's release in five weeks. 11. Hosts' Reflections and Closing - Hosts express interest in Vasa's brand and teachings. - Invitation for audience to rate and review the podcast.

🎬 Reel script

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In this vibrant session of DTC POD, we sat down with marketing maven Vasa Martinez who took us through his journey, from unpaid intern to founder of a groundbreaking brain health soda brand, Perfy. We explored the guts and grit it takes to build a brand, the importance of product positioning, and the innovative uses of technology in branding. From partnerships and campaigns with major brands to the courage needed to revolutionize the beverage industry, Vasa left no stone unturned. We also delved into the world of NFTs and customer retention strategies, making this episode a treasure trove of insights for any entrepreneur looking to make their mark. Don't miss out!

✏️ Custom Newsletter

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Subject line: DTC POD Episode #231: Brand Building, Product Positioning and More with Vasa Martinez Hey there, We hope this newsletter finds you well. I'm delighted to share that we've got another fantastic episode ready for your earbuds over on the DTC POD. You definitely won't want to miss this one, particularly if you're interested in brand building, product positioning, and the dynamics of the competitive beverage industry. Episode #231—Vasa Martinez: Product Positioning & Brand Building 101, is now live! In the episode, we sit down with Vasa Martinez, founder of the low-sugar soda brand, Perfy. From his early days at Quest Nutrition to leading his own social media marketing agency, Growthbuster and now pioneering Perfy, Vasa shares a wealth of insights. Truly, it’s a masterclass session. Here’s what you’ll learn: 1. How to build a unique brand in a saturated industry. 2. The evolution of a social media marketing agency. 3. Key ingredients to setting up a successful positioning statement. 4. Making strategic decisions in product positioning. 5. Implementing creativity and customer engagement in brand building. And here's a fun fact from the episode: Vasa takes inspiration from NFTs and web three technology to influence his brand. Pretty fascinating, huh? Make sure to listen through to the end - we've got important discussion around user-generated content, creative inspiration and more! So, head over to your go-to podcast platform now; whether that's Spotify, iTunes, or elsewhere, and take a listen to Episode #231 with Vasa Martinez. Lastly, we won’t let you leave without a call to action: after you're done listening, please take a moment to leave a rating and review. We value your feedback, and it helps other listeners find our podcast. Here’s to creating more meaningful, impactful products just like our friend, Vasa! Cheers, Blaine Bolus and Ramon Berrios DTC POD Hosts PS: In the next newsletter, we'll give a heads up on what's coming next on DTC. You won't want to miss it!

🐦 Business Lesson Tweet Thread

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1/14 Hang on to your shirts, folks because today I wanna tell you a story about a guy who had the guts to make soda healthy. His name? Vasa Martinez. Pushed his way up from an unpaid intern at Quest Nutrition to running his own show. 2/14 His goal wasn't just another drink but a game-changer for mental fitness. Yes, I said mental fitness. Picture this: soda enhanced with nootropics and adaptogens. Low sugar, packed with brain health ingredients, and still tastes good. 3/14 But how does one set their drink apart in a market bubbling over with energy boosters and fizzy refreshments? Vasa held to three principles: uniqueness, taste, and health. Not from concentrate and limited sugar, a novelty in the soda domain. 4/14 Vasa leaned hard into the soda market with his big idea. His beverage? Perfy, a sparkling blend of natural health boosters forged to fuel the mind. His tastemaker's secret? Whipping his beverage to evoke the full-sugar sodas you grew up on. 5/14 But here's where it gets interesting. Vasa seized an opportunity to make his soda a storytelling medium. He's adopted a cutting-edge technology called Novel, a codeless app builder that lets his customers unlock new experiences. 6/14 Soon, Perfy cans might carry hidden QR codes, revealing a world beyond the sip. NFTs on a soda can, anyone? It's an idea Vasa's flirting with, assessing all logistic and cost odds. 7/14 While Perfy's still new, only available on the East Coast right now. Expansion awaits. That's where brand positioning comes in. Making your brand different enough to be noticed, yet familiar enough to be trusted. 8/14 Vasa's grinding in a realm where creativity rules. He hunts for the pulse of his audience, and where he finds it, he plants a flag. He's a firm believer in UGC but warns against replacing good quality content with it. 9/14 Vasa’s strategy? Planning. Ahead of time. The key to successful organic social media strategy? A bank of content ready for repurposing. He suggests focusing on shares and saves, likes and comments take a backseat. 10/14 Vasa stretches his arms out wide - to infuse inspiration from different sources. He spotted value in NFTs and, behold, decided to integrate NFTs as brand ambassadors after seeing Dylan Francis's doodle. 11/14 Loyal customers are awarded on tiers. Gamify the experience, he believes. It builds community and locks in the token of trust: lifetime value. 12/14 Vasa's journey isn't all success stories, there's been struggles on the route. Difficulty in landing clients, the constant quest for differentiation, but he's yet remained resolute. 13/14 At the heart of it all is the hunger to create something meaningful. To challenge the norms. Vasa's story teaches us to carve our own course, and when the terrain gets tough, to dig even deeper. 14/14 Said it before, but it's worth remembering - life doesn't give us a free pass. It's the grit to persist that wins at the end of the day. Vasa Martinez walked the talk, proving that once again in the soda biz. Fascinating yarn, right?

🎓 Lessons Learned

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1. "Starting from Scratch": Vasa Martinez began his successful career with an unpaid internship at Quest Nutrition and eventually founded Growthbuster. 2. "Brand Creation": Inspired by personal experiences, Vasa created a novel brand, Perfy, targeted at the mental fitness market. 3. "Unique Product Differentiation": Vasa sought to differentiate Perfy by using unique, healthy ingredients, offering it as a healthier soda alternative. 4. "Functional Beverage Market": Discussed the mental fitness industry size and how it relates to the functional carbonated soft drinks market. 5. "Positioning Strategy": Emphasized the importance of positioning in a competitive market, and redefining the perception of the term "soda". 6. "Marketing Innovation": Expressed potential plans to use technologies like QR codes and NFTs for interactive customer experiences. 7. "UGC Vs Quality content": Discussed the importance of balancing user-generated content and quality creative content in brand promotion. 8. "Transparency in UGC Promotion": Brands should openly communicate if UGC creators are paid or have been given products for promotion. 9. "Leveraging NFTs": Shared insights on how NFTs can act as brand ambassadors, providing value to the brand's community. 10. "Creativity in Campaigns": Highlighted the value of creativity, risk-taking, and diverse inspiration sources in creating successful marketing campaigns.

💎 Maxims

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1. Start from the bottom: Many successful entrepreneurs begin their journey with humble beginnings. For example, Vasa Martinez started his career as an unpaid intern. 2. Embrace change and evolution: Be willing to pivot and evolve, just like Martinez's agency evolved from focusing on organic social media content to paid ads and print design. 3. Stand out by defining your category: Like in the case of Vasa Martinez, it is essential to carve out your niche in crowded markets by providing unique product offerings. 4. Position your product strategically: Understand your market and lean into it to carve out your niche, like Martinez did with his beverage in the mental fitness industry. 5. Make strategic decisions based on customers' needs: Your product should solve your customers' problems, as demonstrated by Martinez's low-sugar soda. 6. Seek to make meaningful changes: Do not settle for the status quo. Push boundaries and challenge the industry norms like Martinez did in the competitive beverage industry. 7. Use technology to your advantage: Martinez's application 'Novel' is an example of utilizing modern technology to augment business outcomes. 8. Be transparent and authentic: Brands should be upfront about their relationship with UGC creators to build trust with consumers. 9. Think creatively: Creative solutions help set brands apart. Drawing inspiration from different sources can lead to ground-breaking ideas. 10. Gamify the customer experience: Martinez's customer loyalty cards are an excellent example of using game elements to increase customer engagement and lifetime value. 11. Prioritize planning and organization: Successful organic social media strategies require careful planning and organization. Always have a bank of content ready for repurposing. 12. Use metrics wisely: Rely on metrics that accurately reflect customer engagement, like saves and shares rather than likes and comments. 13. Learn from others: Looking at what other industries are doing and applying those strategies to your field can help you stand out. 14. Be consistent: Particularly in organic social media, consistency in posting and maintaining a clear brand voice is key to building an engaged audience. 15. Be relatable and show personality: Authenticity resonates with consumers. Create content that is funny, shows personality, and is relatable to your audience. 16. Value depth over breadth: A few well-done efforts can often have more impact than numerous efforts that lack depth.

🌟 3 Fun Facts

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1. Vasa Martinez was inspired by Dylan Francis's doodle and decided to incorporate it on a can for his brand, Perfy. 2. Martinez is exploring the innovative idea of using QR codes on cans to unlock unique content and experiences. 3. The Perfy brand is about to launch Perfume Miami, confirming Vasa Martinez's promise of continuously innovating and expanding the product line.

📓 Blog Post

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Title: "Unbottling Success in the Beverage Industry: Learning from Vasa Martinez on Product Positioning and Brand Building" Introduction Our recent DTC Pod episode featured an enlightening conversation with beverage industry trailblazer, Vasa Martinez. Martinez, a brand builder, marketer, and the creator of his own brand, Perfy, joined hosts Blaine Bolus and Ramon Berrios for a deep dive into product positioning, brand building, and the competitive beverage market. Martinez's Journey in the Beverage Industry: From Growthbuster to Perfy Vasa Martinez’s journey began as an unpaid intern at Quest Nutrition, followed by opening his own social media marketing agency - Growthbuster. His agency worked with emerging brands, creating innovative strategies to help them scale. However, a personal loss led Martinez to seek something more impactful, which pushed him to create Perfy - a low-sugar soda functioning as a brain health and mental fitness drink. He chose unique ingredients like aldeonine, ashwagandha, and turmeric to differentiate his product in a market trending towards healthier alternatives. Berrios fittingly described Martinez as a category-defining personality in this space. Brand Building and the Role of Technology In the tedious process of brand building, Martinez's approach involved setting up guardrails for his brand, limiting sugar and calories to adhere to his brand’s positioning as a healthier choice. Essential to his brand’s success was the implementation of technology. Martinez used Novel, allowing users to unlock content and experiences. He also expressed his interest in implementing NFTs on cans, though logistics and costs remain considerations. The Importance of Content Creation Creative content drives Growthbuster’s initiatives. It encompassed a broad spectrum from content creation, influencer marketing to graphical design. According to Martinez, UGC (user-generated content) is one vertical of content that shouldn't replace high-quality content. He urged brands to maintain transparency about UGC creators being paid or purchasing products they endorse. Martinez also emphasized a well-structured positioning statement as the foundation for creativity, citing the book "Forging An Ironclad Brand" by Lindsay Peterson as a definitive guide on the topic. The Future of Perfy: Gamifying the Customer Experience While the brand is currently selling in select locations, Martinez plans to expand Perfy nationwide. He expressed his vision to gamify the customer experience and increase customer lifetime value. One way of achieving this is through the introduction of loyalty cards offering different perks based on tiers. Furthermore, Martinez aims to create a platform on the website for users to share and engage with each other, turning the consumption of Perfy into a shared experience. The Conviction to Challenge The Norm Aside from the quest for success in the beverage industry, the core of the podcast discussion was about Martinez's conviction to challenge the norm. This conviction echoes back to his decision to create a soda for mental fitness and to embark on gamifying customer experience – all with an aim to differentiate Perfy from other functional soda brands. While Martinez acknowledges the competitiveness of the industry, he demonstrated the courage to disrupt, the understanding to position, and the resolve to build a brand he believes in. Conclusion: Extracting Lessons from Martinez's Journey Vasa Martinez's journey through the beverage industry offers unique points of consideration for businesses and entrepreneurs alike. His innovative approach to product positioning, brand building, and use of technology underscore the fact that success in a competitive sector like the beverage industry requires not just a great product, but also strategic initiatives and the courage to disrupt the status quo. As Martinez states, “you don't necessarily have to reinvent the wheel, just repaint it.” To conclude, getting a spot on the shelf in the highly competitive beverage market, or any market for that matter, needs more than just a great product. It requires unique strategies, a strong vision, and the guts to challenge the norm.

🎤 Voiceover Script

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"In this episode of DTC Pod, Vasa Martinez, the brain behind the groundbreaking mental fitness drink, Perfy, unravels the strategies behind product positioning and brand building. He shares valuable insights into evolving marketing efforts, the power of using unique ingredients, and the importance of brand guardrails. Martinez’s vision for transforming the perception of soda, leveraging technology to enhance customer experience, and his belief in the potential of organic social media all come together in a blend of refreshing entrepreneurial wisdom. Listen in for a deep dive into the beverage industry and beyond."

🔘 Best Practices Guide

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In this episode, Vasa Martinez brings his experiences as a founder and brand developer to life. To successfully position a product, he emphasizes the importance of differentiation, utilizing unique ingredients, limiting unhealthy elements, and focusing on emerging trends. Category definition is crucial and establishing strong brand guardrails aids in distinguishing the product in a competitive market. Vasa recommends planning and organizing for successful organic social strategies, and believes sharing a mix of content types, like informational, educational, and hero posts is key in staying relevant. For UGC, transparency is vital and agencies shifting between models can avoid repetitiveness. A foundational positioning statement drives creativity and visual representation of this statement is pertinent. Martinez advises venturing into new technologies and making strategic decisions to enhance customer engagement.

🎆 Social Carousel: Do's/Don'ts

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Slide 1: Cover - "10 Game-Changers Every Retention Marketer Needs to Know" Slide 2: Title - "Don't Forget Importance" Instead: Understand the significance of positioning your brand dutifully. It helps you stand out in competitive markets. Slide 3: Title - "Avoid Complexity" Instead: Keep your brand messaging concise yet compelling. Simplified messages hook the audience better. Slide 4: Title - "Don't Ignore Community" Instead: Leverage user-generated content. It adds authenticity and boosts engagement without replacing quality content. Slide 5: Title - "Overlook App Innovation" Instead: Tap into new tech advancements. They can enhance customer interaction and unlock unique brand experiences. Slide 6: Title - "Avoid Regular Rotation" Instead: Rotate your creative content models regularly. It keeps your content fresh and appealing. Slide 7: Title - "Skim Over Visuals" Instead: Focus on the visual representation of your brand. It helps build an emotional connect with consumers. Slide 8: Title - "Resist Change" Instead: Learn from diverse sources. It fuels creativity and helps you reimagine your strategies. Slide 9: Title - "Don't Gamify" Instead: Gamify customer experience to increase engagement and lifetime value. Slide 10: Title - "Avoid Organic" Instead: Experiment with organic social media strategies. They help increase your reach while saving costs.

🎠 Social Carousel

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Slide 1: "10 Product Positioning Tips by Vasa Martinez" Slide 2: "Embrace Uniqueness" "Use distinct ingredients to differentiate your product." Slide 3: "Establish Guardrails" "Set boundaries on elements like sugar and calories." Slide 4: "Anticipate Trends" "Capitalise on tendencies towards healthier alternatives." Slide 5: "Smart Positioning" "Position your product strategically in the market." Slide 6: "Embrace Technology" "Utilise technologies like Novel to enrich customer experience." Slide 7: "Explore Possibilities" "Consider innovative strategies like QR codes on product packaging." Slide 8: "Importance of UGC" "User-generated content can complement quality content, not replace." Slide 9: "Maximise Social Media" "Use platforms effectively to tell your brand story." Slide 10: "Emphasize Engagement" "Focus on saves and shares as key engagement metrics." Slide 11 (CTA): "Learn More" "Listen to Episode #231 of the DTC POD for more insights from Vasa Martinez."

One Off Tweets

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1. In a world of sugar-laden drinks, innovators find the sweet spot in healthier alternatives. Dare to be different. Let’s redefine soda. 2. Even in the crowded beverage industry, you can make a splash. Just ask Vasa Martinez. It starts with product positioning. 3. Organic social media is not dead, it's transforming. It's time to pivot strategies to tell compelling stories. Let engagement metrics guide you. 4. Logistics and cost: two hurdles standing in the way of full-on NFT implementation. But the potential to unlock new experiences is worth the risk. 5. Want to challenge the status quo in your industry? Take a page from Vasa Martinez. Make meaningful products people won't forget. 6. Product loyalty isn't just about quality anymore. Gamify the customer experience, cultivate engagement, increase lifetime value. 7. Creative briefs need more than pretty words. They need problem-solving goals. Make them a fundamental part of your branding process. 8. Building brands is like writing a story. Your positioning statement is the book cover. Make sure it's compelling enough for consumers to open the book. 9. Creativity is more than just originality; it's about drawing inspiration from uncommon places. Never underestimate the power of a fresh perspective. 10. In the game of content creation, personality reigns king. The funnier, more relatable or beautiful your content, the better your chances of standing out.

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