As a brand coach, I usually help clients set long-term goals. And the two most important goals I can help them set are for becoming Strong and Profitable.

Of course, you want a strong, sustainable brand. And of course, you need to be profitable. That makes sense. So why are organizations so unprepared when they attempt to achieve these goals? It amazes me how little effort and planning goes into this process.

But like any process, there are steps. I tell my clients that if they want to Build a Strong and Profitable Brand, they must first achieve these Six Marketing Objectives:

The First Marketing Objective — Market Knowledge

You must connect with the the market. The best way is to do that is be part of the market. If you’re someone who uses the type of product or service you’re promoting, you will automatically have a better insight. Of course, research can play a big role here, including ongoing input from customers and prospects. Skipping this step is the single biggest mistake organizations make, and this is the most overlooked objective.

The Second Marketing Objective — Standing Out

You must stand out from the competition. I shouldn’t need to say this, but I do. Don’t expect quality and great service to carry the task here. Your messaging and communication needs to be as great as your service and quality.

Also, when it comes it standing out, remember that Being Different Is Better than Being Better. It’s tougher to prove you’re better than it is to prove you’re different. And different is good because most people are reluctant to change brands just on claims that something is “better.” They CAN justify changing brands if it is different.

Third Marketing Objective — Frequent Messaging

Your brand message must be heard and seen frequently. It must be recognized, and it must be familiar to the prospects in your market. Does familiarity make a difference? Yes, it makes a huge difference — depending on the product or services it can double or triple your chances of being chosen.

The Fourth Marketing Objective — Deliver What Is Promised

How is this a marketing objective? Let me explain — anything that helps you sell more is marketing. So deliver as much or more than you’ve promised. This objective ties in with the next…

The Fifth Marketing Objective — Demonstrate Value

Now that you’ve delivered what you’ve promised, you need to remind customers and prospects that you delivered what was promised (or MORE than was promised).

To many, this is probably the biggest surprise in this list. Is it really necessary? Absolutely! You should spend up to a third of your messaging budget and efforts on this. It could take the form of testimonials, or just you telling the audience the facts.

The Sixth Marketing Objective — Refine and Repeat

If your message is “perfect,” you can just repeat it — but what message is perfect?  Leonardo da Vinci said “Art is never finished, only abandoned.” So refine and tweak whatever part needs refined and tweaked. Then repeat.

Should you give the message a rest? No. Most business and consumer products and services need to be in the market’s eye constantly, because you never know when someone is going to need them.

Focus on achieving these marketing goals first — and strength and profitability will follow. You’ll be on your way to building yourself a strong and profitable brand.