KMG Brand Development Sprint: Unveiling the Essence of Taylor's World
By Nancy Poznoff, KMG CEO and Co-Founder
In the whirlwind of Taylor Swift's world, from tour announcements to vault tracks, I found myself immersed in a journey I hadn't expected. However, this unique experience as a mom to a Taylor Swift-obsessed teenager became an invaluable lesson in brand immersion. As the co-CEO of Kingston Marketing Group (KMG), a consultancy specializing in brand development, this journey inspired us to create the KMG Brand Development Sprint: Taylor's Version.
At KMG, our mission is to help brands discover their voice and share it authentically with the world. Our team of creative marketers has developed a process that caters to companies of any size or stage. It all begins with a deep dive into understanding the customer, not just the product or the company. Through a series of exercises in our Brand Development Sprint, we unearth the DNA of a brand by delving into the customer's needs, desires, and pain points.
To kick off the process, we ask crucial questions such as:
What three words describe your brand personality?
Where does your brand currently excel in delivering its promise, and where does it fall short?
Who are your main target audiences, and what specific problems can your business solve for them?
What drives progress and innovation within your industry?
Using Taylor Swift as an example, we explore beyond demographics to truly understand her target customer—likely a 13-34 year old white girl or woman, middle to high-income, well-educated, etc. But the real challenge is uncovering who this customer is at a deeper level. What motivates them? What scares them? What do they need to do, and what do they want to feel? From this exploration, we create personas that capture the universal truths binding many customers together while leaving room for individual nuances.
For Taylor Swift's bullseye target, let's create a persona, called “Becky,” using KMG’s standard template.
Understanding your customer is the foundation for building a genuine connection with your audience. With this groundwork laid, we move on to the next step in the KMG Brand Development Sprint: The Brand Framework. Stay tuned for this second installment!
