What is firearms marketing?

The marketing of firearms focuses on communicating the features, functions, caliber and use of a firearm. Brand plays an important role in the segmentation of customers i.e. Glock users vs. Sig users. Firearms are used for military, hunting, personal defense, competition shooting. People also collect firearms as a hobby.

Joshua Claflin, Author at Garrison Everest

Nov 06

What is the Future of Firearms Advertising?

By Joshua Claflin Firearms Marketing

The onslaught against the firearms industry has never in history been more fervent. Lawsuits are emerging at a disconcerting rate across the U.S., and as a marketer in the firearms industry tasked with advising clients on marketing advice I had to ask the question:

What is the future of advertising in the firearms industry?

In this article, I want to share five thoughts that will help you—the firearm marketer or business owner—think through your future advertising efforts to help you navigate and defend against the onslaught of our adversaries’ misunderstanding and the litigious efforts to destroy our industry and the good people in it.

1. What makes advertising effective?

Any piece of advertising (print, tv, radio, digital or otherwise) attempts to let others know about how a product or service can help them survive or thrive. If you are advertising a shoe’s new cushioning system that softens your foot strike or a pillow that enables you to sleep better, copywriters will typically use the following framework:

Identify the customers’ problem
Offer your product as the solution
Show how your product solves the problem
Show empathy and authority (why they should listen to you)
Explain the consequences and successes of using your product
Call them to action: Buy Now, Subscribe or Sign up

The above framework can be identified in almost every effective advertisement in the world. And yes, it does work when done correctly. Next time the MyPillow commercial on T.V. interrupts you, see if you can follow the above narrative.

Advertising a firearm is no different than advertising a Toyota, Dr. Pepper, iPhone, or a pair of Nikes. Advertising seeks to inform potential buyers of a product’s functions and features that moves a buyer towards purchasing your product. By aligning your product’s brand attributes with that buyer’s worldview, you increase the odds of the purchase. We call this the customer transformation. Include an eye-catching image, a call to action along with a sizable media buy, and you’ve got the makings of an effective campaign.

2. But now we’re at risk.

If you’re a firearm brand that places an ad and your product is used in a shooting—even though the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act protects you—you could become the target of a potential lawsuit.

Photo credit: Remington

The Bushmaster ad being used against Remington Outdoor Co. in the Newtown shootings is now waiting to be heard by the U.S. Supreme Court. If the Supreme Court sides with the plaintiffs and allows the case to proceed, the case would go back to the Connecticut State Supreme Court to determine the merits. That could give the plaintiffs access to Remington’s internal marketing documents during the discovery process. (Source: WSJ)

UPDATE: November 15, 2019
U.S. Supreme Court denied Remington’s petition for review of the state supreme court decision. This means the plaintiffs may be able to gain access to Remington’s marketing materials through the Connecticut court.

According to Joshua Koskoff, a lawyer for the plaintiffs, “the families lawsuit is intended to shed light on Remington’s calculated and profit-driven strategy to expand the AR-15 market and court high-risk users, all at the expense American’s safety.”

A ruling in favor of the plaintiffs will adversely affect the firearms industry and potentially set a precedence and open up every other industry to litigation. For example, if your tire falls off while you’re speeding and kills five people, those families could sue the tire company because the tire company’s ad told you that you were the kind of driver who likes to drive fast.

Photo credit: Bridgestone

That’s why you need to understand how to protect your company’s brand from these frivolous lawsuits.

Take action

ATTEND THIS WEBINAR: Marketing Practices Liability in the Firearms Industry
Orchid Advisors and Williams Mullen are sponsoring a Free Webinar Tuesday, November 12, 2019 at 2:00 EST

Topics will include

- A review of the PLCAA, the Connecticut case, and the theory of potential liability.
- The severity of risk should an industry member get sued for criminal misuse of products.
- Best practices for monitoring and policing marketing strategies.
- Additional steps industry members should take to reduce risk.

3. Virtue signaling

More and more companies whose CEOs worldview align with anti-gun sentiment and those who disagree with certain products and political positions are steering their ships in the direction of what is called “virtue signaling.”

Virtue signaling looks like this:

I don’t like your product
Not liking your product can help strengthen my brand
We should come out publicly against your product
Taking a position against your product will ‘hopefully’ breath new life into my diminishing brand

We’ve seen this with Dick’s Sporting Goods and WalMart. You also might recall the Nike ad that featured Colin Kapernick as a way to strengthen Nike’s brand with its’ urban audience.

Photo credit: Nike

Shopify removed firearm dealers and manufacturers from using its platform last year. Due to the pressure of financial institutions and gun control groups, we can expect more virtue signaling in the years to come.

Take action

Manufacturers and dealers need to create open-source websites and avoid getting caught up in virtue signaling platforms and software companies who are against firearms. i.e. SalesForce. Make sure you know where your intended solution provider stands on the 2nd Amendment.

4. Social media and the ensuing increase in gun ownership

Facebook, Google, YouTube and Instagram make no secret that they are against the firearms industry. The latest bans and advertising restrictions implemented by the largest social media networks make it very difficult for the firearms industry to advertise their products—and from experience seem to be getting worse.

These restrictions are just another way they are shaming the firearms industry out of the public square of debate. However, this isn’t about debate anymore—this is blatant censorship. As customer behavior changes, firearm brands need to look for other strategies to help grow their businesses.

Word-of-mouth (WOM) marketing programs, though once hard to instigate, can now be developed at scale without the use of certain software platforms. Mark Schaefer, a marketing expert and author who spoke at this year’s NSSF CMO summit about the coming “Marketing Rebellion,” talks a lot about people not wanting to be sold—but to be helped because advertising is losing its effectiveness. I tend to agree with him if you’re trying to market toothpaste or car insurance—but not firearms, which is an enthusiast and hobby sport. As a law-abiding gun enthusiast, I enjoy looking at ads in Guns and Ammo and so do other law-abiding gun enthusiasts.

As violent crime rates increase and would-be presidential contenders like Francis Beto O’Rourke and others tout gun confiscation, people will—by instinct—seek ways to defend themselves. This is one of the reasons the women segment is outpacing any other segment in the industry. They will make their decisions on what their friends and family recommend and only use Facebook and Google to reinforce their intended purchase, which I believe contributes minimally to the buyers’ lifecycle when it comes to purchasing firearms. Last month’s record setting background checks underscores this trend.

Take action

Brands building social media groups and followers on third-party platforms are at risk of losing precious marketing capital. Utilize multiple social media platforms as well as pro-gun and pro-hunting platforms like Powderhook and GoWild. Build great products, utilize your email marketing, SEO/voice and bolster your customer service programs to build word-of-mouth.

5. God, America, Guns, Masculinity, and Trump

Another front on our industry is how advertising restrictions are tied to the #metoo movement, masculinity, and those who support President Trump. Every marketer knows that riding trends can help push a brand message further. Gun industry opponents are utilizing the current culture war to amplify their messages. This is why you see a united attack on Christians, law enforcement, guns, hunters, men, and President Trump. The opposition makes no effort to hide it.

It will be up to marketing professionals to communicate a message of respect, strength, resolve and defense along with our product’s innovations that stands resolute in the face of these blatant attacks and censorship.

Take action

Review your advertising with firearm legal professionals to mitigate the risks of your advertising.

So, what is the future of firearm advertising?

Regardless of the outcome of the Remington case—firearm advertising, which once required little to no legal involvement will now pressure prudent marketers to add a legal review in their timelines. Some won’t comply, and that is their right. However, with the culture war reaching new heights, fake news, the division in our country getting deeper, and the disregard of the United States Constitution—it’s better to be safe than sorry.

What are your thoughts on the future of firearm advertising? Please comment below.

Josh Claflin, President at Garrison Everest and StoryBrand Certified Guide, helps companies in the defense, outdoor, tech and shooting sports industry who are struggling to stand out in the crowded marketplace and attract new customers.

Follow @joshuajclaflin

Oct 18

How to Write Story Into Your Marketing

By Joshua Claflin Brand Development, StoryBrand

Standing out in the marketplace is really difficult—sometimes impossible. The imagery is getting better. The copy is more persuasive. The products are more durable and it seems like every brand claims the same thing:

We Make the World’s_____.
We’re the Superior ______.
We’re #1 in _____.
The Worlds’ Most_____.
The Ultimate _____.

Does the above list sound familiar?

There’s nothing wrong with claiming to be the best—if you’re a brand who really is the market leader—you earned it. But for brands less well known, making such claims can be down-right dishonest. The truth is, if you’re a relative unknown brand making the claim that you’re “the best,” you’re wasting money on marketing and your customers don’t believe you anyway. False claims have caused a backlash in other industries as well as our own.

People have great distrust in brands (and companies) these days (Source: Forbes). It’s been documented that your prospective customers will check out 11 pieces (social media, reviews, blogs, websites, ads, forum review and articles) of content before deciding to hand over their hard-earned money because they are afraid of being cheated or taken of advantage of. When was the last time you bought something for first time over $250 without doing any research online?

To combat this “me-too,” and “I’m the best” mentality, marketers and business owners need to find other ways to get their customer’s attention and break out in the marketplace—and the way to effectively accomplish this is by putting in the time to think through their messaging —a good way to do this is through the power of story.

Story has been around since creation. Story has been hard-wired into our brain as a sense-making device. It helps us understand our environment, situations and how to achieve our goals. Stories engage our imaginations and hold our attention for hours on end. Think about the last great movie you saw. Movies like Jason Bourne, Days of Thunder, Star Wars and Saving Private Ryan are all incredibly captivating.

The same methods used in the movies can also apply to your professional services, tech, active lifestyle or outdoor business.

In the following, I’m going to explain how to write story into your marketing, make your customer the hero and stand out in the marketplace to attract more customers. This process if called StoryBrand.

1. A Character

Make your customer the hero, not your brand.

Every great story starts with a hero. The hero in your business is your customer. As humans, we all want to become something better: better hunters, better shooters, more fit, smarter and more wealthy. We also have personality and character traits like age, income, values, beliefs and interests. Define your customer as the hero in your ads, emails, website copy, and sales letter. Once you start defining what your customer wants, they start paying attention.

Q: How can you make your customer the hero?

Brands that participate in the transformation of their customers win in the marketplace. (Source: StoryBrand)

2. Has a Problem

Every hero in every story has a problem that must be solved. Without a problem to be addressed (a bomb to diffuse, a girl to rescue or a disaster to prevent) the story would fall flat and you lose your audience’s interest. It’s up to you to identify what the problem is and how the hero will overcome this problem.

Q: What problem does your product or service solve?

A story gets interesting when the conflict is defined. (Source: StoryBrand)

3. Meets a Guide Who Understands Them

No hero can solve the problem on their own. They can try, but it won’t be as successful nor as exciting. Luke Skywalker had Yoda (and Ben Kenobi), Cole Trickle had Harry Hogge, and Neo had Morpheus.

This is how your brand plays the guide:

First, you must show Empathy. Empathy means to relate. How can you empathize with your customer’s problem?
Second is Authority. Heroes look to guides who have gone before them. If you haven’t gone where your customer wants to go, how can you be the guide? How have you solved the same problem your customer is trying to solve? This must be communicated clearly to establish trust.

Never position yourself as the hero in your brand’s story. (Source: StoryBrand)

4. Who gives them a Plan

At this point in the story, your customers find themselves at risk. This is the point where most customers will bounce off your website or find themselves confused about what you offer. The purpose of giving them a plan is to break down the steps on what it takes to work with or buy from you. The plan eases any friction points in the buying process and helps your customer move forward.

Q: What are the steps your customer must take to work with you?

A plan alleviates confusion or hesitancy about the next step. (Source: StoryBrand)

5. And Calls them to Action

No story can proceed until the hero is called to action. Your customer will not take action unless they are challenged. You must call them to do something.

Buy Now
Schedule A Call
Sign Up
Find A Dealer

are all clear call to actions. This language must be repeated over and over again to make it clear what it is you want your customer to do.

Q: Do you have a clear call to action on your website?

If we don’t have the confidence to ask people to buy from us, they assume our product won’t solve their problem. (Source: StoryBrand)

6. That Helps Them Avoid Failure

Two forces motivate people: avoiding failure and experiencing success. Every human being is trying to avoid a tragic ending. Your customer must know how you will help them be successful.

Q: How will your product or service help your customer avoid failure.

Human beings are sometimes more motivated to avoid a loss than achieve gain. (Source: StoryBrand)

7. Or Ends in Success

As the guide, you must cast the vision of what success looks like if your customer uses your product or services.

Communicate through words and images that your product or service solves your customers’ problems. (Source: StoryBrand)

By understanding these seven principles, you will be able to

Stop wasting money on ineffective marketing
Get and keep your customers attention
Cut through the marketplace clutter of me-too products
Attract more customers

By taking the time to clarify your message and figure out these aspects of your story, you will be able to transform your marketing, attract new customers and stand out in the crowded marketplace.

If you’d like to check out the book StoryBrand or learn more about the process yourself you can:

You can also schedule a call with me, and get a clear plan on how stand out in the crowded marketplace.

5-Keys-To-Stand-Out-and-Attract-New-Customers

5 KEYS ON HOW TO STAND OUT IN A COMPETITIVE MARKETPLACE

Is your brand getting noticed?
In this ebook, we’ll give you 5 keys for 2019 that will help you differentiate and grow your business. We’ll share why it’s important to have a clear brand message, how to build a website that works, a simple marketing plan, how to gather testimonials the right way and a few marketing tactics that offer the biggest bang for your buck.

Josh Claflin, President at Garrison Everest and StoryBrand Certified Guide, helps companies who are struggling to stand out in the crowded marketplace and attract new customers.

Follow @joshuajclaflin

Sep 24

Outdoor Firearms Hunting Advertising Agency

5 Ways To Make Firearm & Hunting Advertising More Compelling

By Joshua Claflin Firearms and Hunting

In recent years, print advertising across all industries have taken a hit. Advertisers are increasingly allocating more of their budgets to online ads and content at the expense of TV and print media.

While TV and online ads will continue to dominate the global ads market, print ads will be relegated to the last spot and have the smallest share in the advertising industry. (Source: Trefis)

Print is also expensive. The average full-page ad in Deer and Deer Hunting can run you $7,975 and for good reason. The quality of content by these publishers as well as the magazine’s reach can’t be beat and are still proven to be viable channels. But, how many times have you placed an ad with high expectations only to see your efforts vanish into thin air?

If you’re struggling or are considering placing an ad to increase sales or build brand awareness, I’d like to share with you five ways to make your firearm or hunting advertising more compelling and how you can tie those efforts in with your inbound marketing efforts to track effectiveness and ROI.

1. Use an interesting concept
As important as photography is, you can make your ad much more efficient by integrating a brand concept into the design to make it more interesting. Take a moment to think about your brand and the value it provides to your customer. Is there a way to incorporate those values or benefits into your spread that not only showcases your product, but that also invokes an emotion to make your advertising more memorable. As the old saying goes, “People may not remember what you said, but they will remember how you made them feel.”

A great example is Crimson Trace. They use a serious face inside a silhouette of a person using a laser in self-defense. They then communicate the mindset of their customer through the copy.

Use Storytelling To Breakthrough
Story is a sense-making device used since the dawn of time to communicate—our brains are hardwired for it. Used properly, story will give you an edge over your competitors ads—even if their product is better. The reason why story works so well is that it cuts through the clutter and distraction of today’s cute and clever headlines and clearly communicates the benefits of your product’s benefits without all the fluff. Too many brands play the hero, when they need to be playing the guide. This helps your customer understand your offering faster and helps them become something better e.g., a better marksman, more accurate, more aware, savvier or in some cases more advanced.

2. Go beyond features and talk more about benefits
If you page through any firearms or hunting magazine almost all of the advertising is based on features. Don’t get me wrong, features are paramount, because they represent the manufacturer’s approach to solving a problem, but the problem is, everyone does this. Everyone says their product is superior, the best, most accurate, most durable or is the next big thing. And while that may be true, your biggest competitor isn’t the other manufacturer; it’s the clutter of “me-to” products in the marketplace.

Features!

To go beyond the features, you have to determine how your product will benefit the customer, and how this aligns with your brand’s positioning and the intrinsic characteristics of your buyer persona. How will your knife perform when you’ve downed an Elk back in the dog hair—and it’s getting dark? Does the color of your knife’s handle or the strap on your head-mounted light solve this problem? Does your backpack make it easier to pack out without the hindquarter sliding all over the place?

Communicate the reasons why you built lightweight materials into your stock and hand guards. Tell them why less weight for the operator hiking 20 miles up Korangal valley in Afghanistan help them to go further that contributes to the success of their mission. Show these advantages in your advertising. Seek to connect the features with real-time application.

3. Create tension
Today’s consumer has seen it all, and they’re less likely than ever to notice even your masterpiece of art and copy, let alone internalize it. Your job is to craft a piece that rises out of the noise to make an impact. (Source: Luke Sullivan)

In his book, “Hey Whipple, Squeeze This”, Luke Sullivan explains the importance on drawing from highly emotional concepts to help customers remember your brand by creating tension or conflict.

In an ad placed on SilencerCo.’s website—they combine the oppressive event of the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989 with their goal of communicating legal ownership of suppressors and that we (the public) are being suppressed (stoking the emotions of us red-blooded patriots) from purchasing silencers and that we should stand up for our rights. Combining this imagery with their branding creates a highly, emotional and thought-provoking ad through the use of tension.

Photo credit: SilencerCo.

4. Use faces
One of the first things we focus in on when we are born is the faces of our family. This isn’t just because they are always around in those first few weeks. The brain has a specific circuit for recognizing faces called the fusiform gyrus, or the fusiform face area. We are hard-wired to respond to faces. In the ads below, what ad are you most drawn to? (Source: Canva)

5. Track for measurement and ROI
Lastly, if you can’t track it, what’s the point of advertising? The answer is likely because companies are now used to understanding what their dollars are doing. When print, TV and billboards were the primary ad spots, attribution was not an easy task. But today, companies have built a habit of understanding how much revenue is generated by their ad spend dollars thanks to the Internet and Google Analytics. (Source: Small Biz Trends) With thousands of dollars invested, it makes sense to try to track your communication. Here are a few ways to do so:

• Create a vanity URL and place it in your ad and use Google Analytics to measure
• Offer a free downloadable offer like an ebook or whitepaper to generate leads
• Offer an incentive like a giveaway to generate leads
• Create a special call in or vanity phone number

By implementing print ad tracking you’re reducing the amount of traffic that is wrongly classified as Direct or Organic search and gaining insight into how your different print efforts are working. With this practice, you will be beyond most companies who do print advertising with little understanding of how their ad performs. (Source: Small Biz Trends)

So to wrap up, use interesting concepts, go beyond just features, create tension, use people’s faces and track your print efforts to understand if your advertising is effective. By taking these extra steps, you can create more compelling advertising and make better marketing decisions.

Free Download: Creative Brief Template

Creative briefs help define your advertising concepts and keep projects running smoothly. Use this template to:

Connect objectives with creative strategies
Build team consensus
Align expectations
Define clear and measurable goals
Create more compelling advertising

Josh Claflin, President at Garrison Everest and StoryBrand Certified Guide, helps companies who are struggling to stand out in the crowded marketplace and attract new customers.

Follow @joshuajclaflin

Sep 23

6 Secrets To Building A Great Service Brand

By Joshua Claflin Brand Development

As a new business owner, start-up or consultant looking to break through the clutter, developing a strong reputation for your service is job one. To develop a great service brand, not only do you have to provide an outstanding “service”, you also have to deliver outstanding “customer service”. Done consistently over time—you will begin to frame a strong reputation and build a brand that stands for quality.

If you’ve done your due diligence in identifying what makes you different in the marketplace through the brand development process and have created a professional website, here are 6 secrets to keep in mind when developing a great service brand.

 1. Use story to clarify your message
Most entrepreneurs and start up business owners don’t take the time to clarify their message. A clear message will help you grow your business faster and be more effective in communicating with your employees, customers and stakeholders. Confusion and distraction is at an all time peak in our culture. Most of your competitors will result to using cute and clever messaging only to find that those with clear messaging are winning more customers. Every day people are bombarded with information. Because they are being bombarded, they only listen to people (and brands) that communicate clearly. The best way to clarify a complicated message is to use the power of story.

2. Be proactive  
When a project is underway and your customers are asking for things, get ahead of them by thinking through next steps. For example, don’t wait for them to ask where things are, send an email first thing in the morning letting them know where you’re at and how things are going. We use a project management tool like Basecamp to communicate with our clients on a daily basis. The calendar feature allows the client to know exactly what is going on and when they can expect their deliverables. It keeps everyone’s communication documented and organized. If it’s not written down, it doesn’t exist.

3. Be responsive 
Don’t wait three days to get back on a request. This goes without saying. Respond to your customers as fast a possible or within 24 hours. Make sure to set expectations on what your office hours and typical response times are. The single biggest problem in any given relationship is poor communication. Communicate well and you will build a great service brand.

55% of customers would pay extra to guarantee a better service.
– Defaqto research.

4. Anticipate needs 
If a customer or client emails you a question, respond not only with the answer but with whatever they may be asking for. It may be a file or a document. Think a head. This creates a positive impression on your customers and shows them you’re on the ball and reminds them why they spent top dollar on your service firm.

A dissatisfied customer will tell between 9-15 people about their experience. Around 13% of dissatisfied customers tell more than 20 people. – White House Office of Consumer Affairs.

5. Delight your customers 
To delight your customers and turn them into promoters of your service, continue to solve their problems long after the project is ended. This is a key aspect to a methodology we follow called inbound marketing. By continuing to solve their problems through relevant content, you remain top-of-mind which helps when they are asked for referrals or have other work for your service company to do. It costs 6–7 times more to acquire a new customer than retain an existing one – Bain & Company. By delighting your customers, you preempt the competition and save on marketing costs. Do some industry research and provide them with insights they will find helpful. By continuing to answer their questions, you will delight your customer and turn them into promoters of your brand.

6. Show some enthusiasm
As a service company, customers come to you looking for answers. No matter what their product or service is, showing a little enthusiasm at the first point of contact can go a long way. Remind yourself or your employees to smile when taking calls. The smile comes through on the other line. Laugh a little, have fun and make a friend. Be excited to talk to them! Your enthusiasm should also come through in your social media and blog posts.

70% of buying experiences are based on how the customer feels they are being treated – McKinsey.

To build an outstanding service brand, clarify your message, show some enthusiasm, be proactive, be responsive, anticipate your customer needs, delight them by continuing to solve their problems and above all else.

5 KEYS ON HOW TO STAND OUT IN A COMPETITIVE MARKETPLACE

Josh Claflin, President at Garrison Everest and StoryBrand Certified Guide, helps companies who are struggling to stand out in the crowded marketplace and attract new customers.

Follow @joshuajclaflin

Sep 22

How Much Does a Brand Cost to Build?

By Joshua Claflin Brand Development

In this article you will learn:

The perils of not taking a brand development approach before going to market
How much does a brand cost to build if you’re a Fortune 100 brand?
How long does it take to build a brand?
How do I build a brand?
By focusing on brand building, what will I get in return?

A few years back, we were prospecting a new client who wanted to take their product to market. Like most entrepreneurs/inventors he was extremely passionate and highly persuasive after we invested an hour to hear about his product. We left the meeting with a good rapport and plans to follow up in a week or two with a presentation on we would market their product—that we felt had potential that started with a through brand development assignment.

What was planned to be a normal discover-proposal-execution process turned out to be a series of emails, phone discussions and follow-up meetings that became an out-right argument on our recommendation to take the time to develop a strong brand position first. Because the prospect was asking for an alternative approach: storm to market with an infomercial that would cost the prospect $100,000 to produce, not including the media buy.

Years of experience has convinced me that every product or service needs to develop a brand to be successful.

Whether it’s a cheesy product like the Snuggy or a weight loss product – everything is a brand. A brand is the feeling you get about a product, service or person the good and the bad. Without understanding what the brand is, any business risks hanging their investments on the precipice of failure or mediocrity.

How much does it cost to build a Fortune 100 brand?

When 64% of the market value of the world’s most valuable brand (Apple) is intangible – shown on the balance sheet as $104.3 billion* in “Brand Value” – there’s something very important here. Think about it – $104.3 billion in real dollar value – this does not include their stores(bricks and mortar), inventory, equipment, factories or people etc. – but rather the economic power of the Apple name and what it stands for – the power to think differently.For revolutionizing the way we work, play, and communicate—and for mastering the ability to surprise and delight—Apple has set a high bar for aesthetics, simplicity, and ease-of-use that all other tech brands are now expected to match, and that Apple itself is expected to continually exceed. (Source: Interbrand)
The total intangible Brand Value on the balance sheets of the companies that own the world’s top 100 brands is more than $1 trillion!* But this is not just about megacompanies. This is about building intangible brand value in any-size company or organization – building the power to differentiate your brand with such clarity of competitive value that selecting your brand over others is an easy choice. (Source: Interbrand)

How long does it take to build a brand?

The answer lies in the importance, need and positioning of the product to solve a very real problem. Brands like McDonalds, Disney, Coca-Cola, Nike and Microsoft took many years to build – where brands like Google, iPhone, and Facebook took only 1-3 years. No one knows exactly how many millions of dollars were spent on advertising and other business activities, but the fact is if you have a product or service that is truly unique — that essentially creates a new category — chances are you could build a multi-million or billion dollar brand very fast.

How do I build a brand?

For the rest of us – the iPhones, Googles and Facebooks don’t happen every day. That is why we advocate for companies looking to grow that they first focus on the following:

Solve a Problem (Product/Market Fit )- Does your product or service solve a definite problem with a large enough market to create a business? Does your product or service offer a large improvement on a current solution? Examples:
1. Blockbuster Video > Netflix
2. Taxis > Uber
3. Arcade Games > Xbox
4. Retail Shopping > Amazon
Buyer Persona and Positioning – Define your customers external, internal and philosophical problem. Then use this information to find the “whitespace” in your market where you can stand apart from your competitors.
Clear Messaging – With all the clutter, noise and distraction in the marketplace, it’s more important to be clear—than cute or clever. Utilizing storytelling in your messaging is a great way to keep your customers’ attention.
Creative Implementation – Design your name, logo, website, packaging and other marketing collateral around your personas, positioning and messaging.
Marketing/Branding Tactics: Now drive your brand message through consistent marketing tactics over time like Facebook advertising, inbound marketing, SEO, social media, email marketing, and influencers over and over again till you begin to see awareness and demand for your product or service increase. You can use tools like Google Trends to monitor.

We believe in the brand development process as we have seen what a strong brand can do and how much value it can bring to its customers, brand owners and shareholders.

Typical brand development programs can cost anywhere from $10,000 to $500,000 depending on the size or the stage your company is in. An industry standard for startups is to typically budget 12-15% or more of their initial investment from the onset —while mid-stage to larger companies spend 8% – 10% of total revenues on ongoing marketing/branding. Other sources says to spend less, but with the increasing competition in the marketplace and unprecedented distraction, I advocate for slightly larger budgets to stand out in the cluttered marketplace.

Today’s consumer behavior demands your brand stand for something. Your brand must stand out from the phonies and make your customers believe that what you offer is authentic, special, unique, and trustworthy.

A typical brand development process for a startup looks like this:

By building a strong brand your business will achieve the following:

Reduction in turnover costs
Generate more sales leads
Acquire more customers
Attract talent
Foster innovation
Enhance your company culture
Delight your customers
Makes it easier for the customer to buy
Makes it easier for the sales team to sell
Brand clarity spurs employee motivation
Increases the value of your company over time
A well-developed brand works for you 24/7
The brand development exercise creates innovation
Saves money on future design and advertising costs
Creates preference which equals profit

In end, we presented our proposal, shook hands and left knowing the brand development assignment wasn’t going to move forward. I don’t know where this company or product is now, their website is still not live and they have yet to produce the infomercial they so badly wanted.

Most entrepreneurs don’t take the time to adequately understand their audience and develop their brand based on the people who they want to sell to. They “put the cart the before the horse,” only to find out later that they need to spend more money to go back and fix their brand because they didn’t take the time to do it right the first time.

pcmatic old brand A present example is PC Matic. Founder and CEO Rob Cheng started PC Matic as a software that improved speed and spent millions on television advertising—only to find out that PC Matic was indeed so much more. Millions could have been saved if PC Matic took the time to understand their brand in the beginning and chart its course. Now they are spending millions on changing course with their rebrand.

In today’s cluttered and attention deficit society, developing a strong brand is key to business success. Without establishing trust and authenticity, you will be just another face in the crowd and spend thousands or millions going in the wrong direction.

5 KEYS ON HOW TO STAND OUT IN A COMPETITIVE MARKETPLACE

Josh Claflin, President at Garrison Everest and StoryBrand Certified Guide, helps companies who are struggling to stand out in the crowded marketplace and attract new customers.

Follow @joshuajclaflin

Sep 12

How You Can Outthink Your Competition With Inbound Marketing

By Joshua Claflin Inbound Marketing

For most startups and growth-stage companies growing market share comes down to a matter of numbers.

You know your product or service is good because you’ve gone to great lengths to ensure that it is. You’ve received positive feedback from your customers, signed some solid purchase orders or contracts, your website, packaging and brand look great—but you just can’t seem to grow in the way or as fast as you’d like.

Smaller companies struggle to take their businesses to the next level because of the expensive barrier of entry to print advertising, T.V and trade shows.

Market industry leaders—or the goliaths—enjoy market dominance and the bulk of the market because of years of brand building. Their massive marketing budgets are hard to beat, making it seemingly impossible for the David’s or the emerging companies to compete against.

However, as some us well know—to bag the beast—you must outthink the beast.

If you haven’t noticed lately, magazine subscriptions are in decline (Source: Folio) and everything seems to be migrating online. Your customers are going to the internet first to research products. Look at some of these revealing statistics:

61% of global Internet users research products online. (Source: Interconnected World: Shopping and Personal Finance)
93% of online shoppers begin by using a search engine. (Source: Hubspot)
90% of the purchase lifecycle is over before a customer decides to buy (Source: iMedia)
65% of U.S. shoppers research products and services on a computer and make a purchase in-store (Source: Cisco)

… and these numbers are on the rise.

In this article, I give you 6 points about how you can “outthink” your competition by looking at an online strategy first—versus investing more in trade show, TV or print.

1. What is inbound marketing?

Since 2006, inbound marketing has been an effective marketing method for doing business online. Sometimes called “digital” or “content marketing,” “inbound” is the opposite of “outbound marketing.” Where outbound is buying print ads, placing a TV spot and praying for customers; inbound marketing focuses on creating quality content that pulls people toward your company and product, where they naturally want to be. By aligning the content you publish with your customer’s interests and by solving their problems and answering their most burning questions — you naturally attract website visitors—or inbound traffic—that you can convert to customers and turn them into promoters of your brand.

An inbound approach also lends credibility and trust to your dealers, partners or affiliates by enabling them to reference great information off your website when their customers are asking for recommendations on what to buy or how your product works.

2. Why inbound marketing now?

Consumer behavior has shifted over the years. The days of “push” advertising and “salesy” tactics have lost their effectiveness. If you think about it, you yourself skip television commercials when watching your favorite show, ignore flashing online ads when surfing news sites, hang up on cold callers, tune out radio ads that you have no interest in and throw the direct mail in the trash. Years of being bombarded with this “intrusive” form of advertising has changed the way consumers prefer to get information about the products they want to buy. Inbound turns outbound on its head. Instead of constantly pushing your message on your customers, you attract them to your website through your content.

Inbound marketing has been proven to generate 54% more leads than traditional paid marketing and saves you $20K on average a year over outbound marketing.

3. Helpful content is the secret sauce

Content can be a blog, video, checklist, ebook, whitepaper or a download that attempts to solve your customer’s problems in a relevant way. Blogging is the best way to get started. Did you know that if you’re not creating content on a regular basis, Google will drop your search engine rankings?

For a good example of a blog, take a look at American Express’ blog.

4. What am I going to write about?

Everyone is an expert in something. If writing isn’t your forte, you can always hire someone to help you out. There are hundreds of writers in your industry looking for work. Start by forming a list of questions that you hear most from your customers, dealers or clients. Take that list and form it into a series of blog posts. In time, you’ll have more than enough to write about.

Most companies who blog—are blogging mostly for self-promotional purposes. Your prospective clients or customers don’t want to hear how great you are—they want to hear how you can help them. In the process, you’ll earn their respect, trust and ultimately their wallet.

5. Online marketing is not about Facebook and Instagram likes

There are plenty of companies who have thousands of followers and likes on their Facebook/Instagram page. However, those likes don’t necessarily translate into website traffic and sales—especially now that less than 1% of your posts are ever seen by your followers. It is important to show “social proof” but Facebook likes alone does not mean you have an online marketing strategy.

6. Get there first

The world, in general is moving more and more online. The companies who start now will have a huge advantage down the road. By owning the online space in your category—be it accounting, consumer products, apps, optics, marketing, consulting etc.—you will gain significant advantage over your competitors.

FREE EBOOK: THE ESSENTIAL STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE TO INBOUND MARKETING

In this comprehensive guide, you will learn the 6 essential steps to internet marketing success.

1. Optimizing Your Website
2. Creating Content
3. Implementing a Social Strategy
4. Converting Visitors into Leads
5. Nurturing Leads into Customers
6. Analyzing & Refining Data

Josh Claflin, President at Garrison Everest and StoryBrand Certified Guide, helps companies who are struggling to stand out in the crowded marketplace and attract new customers.

Follow @joshuajclaflin

Sep 10

shooting-sports-firearms-digital-case-studies

3 “Must Read” Outdoor and Firearm Digital Marketing Case Studies

By Joshua Claflin Case Study, Inbound Marketing, Influencer Marketing, Marketing, SEO, StoryBrand

Most marketers looking to start a digital marketing program for their company in the outdoor, defense or firearms industry are usually met with some resistance from the higher ups.

After all, PR, print, and tradeshow have always been the industry norm.

If you’re still on the fence about pulling the trigger on the benefits of a cost-effective digital marketing program and are serious about getting on track to building your digital footprint for the future, now’s a good time to reconsider.

In this post, I share three case studies that we’ve worked hard on over the past 2 years that received some outstanding results.

12-Month Ecommerce Case Study

Garrison Everest was approached by a 2-year old firearm company who had big growth goals that were having trouble getting traction in the marketplace. Due to the cost of entry to place print advertising—they were looking for other means to make their brand known.

A rebrand was conducted that included new packaging, logo, and ecommerce website to make their products more appealing and more attractive to prospective buyers. Next, we built out three digital marketing programs that included SEO, email, and industry partnerships. To build brand awareness, the SEO program utilized content and industry writers to build backlinks on popular publisher sites. On-page and off-page optimization was also included. Lastly, we began engaging on social media daily, which added a human component versus a faceless brand image with their followers who in the end, shared the client’s brand goodness with their followers.

Results

400% Increase in traffic from the previous year
40% in social media followers across Facebook and Instagram
112% increase in email subscribers

The amount invested provided the client with a 624% return on investment. The program paid for itself six times over.

“That’s like putting a dollar into the stock market and getting six dollars back.”

12-Month Influencer Case Study

A mid-growth company was having problems getting its product to penetrate a competitive accessory segment. Print and banner advertising provided diminishing returns, which set them looking for other ways to get more bang for their marketing dollar. Garrison Everest provided an influencer marketing strategy that worked with prominent industry celebrities and social media influencers to raise awareness of their product.

Results

9.1 M Impressions
7.2 M Estimated Reach
$6.5 CPM
670K engagements

What made this influencer marketing program remarkable was the low CPM. Compare a $6.5 CPM to the cost of placing a banner ad on leading sites where CPM costs can be as high as $25. Influencer marketing provided great value to this company.

24-Month Inbound Marketing Case Study

Faced with growing competition and a changing landscape, a B2B company contacted Garrison Everest to help them differentiate in the marketplace and generate leads and customers online.

They were already placing large print buys but were not getting good returns, nor were they able to track their results which made them feel like they were throwing their money out the window.

We started with a comprehensive brand development assignment that led to a website redesign and a 12-month inbound marketing campaign. Over the course of the next 12 months, traffic increased, leads multiplied, and through automation, we were able to nurture those leads into customers.

The first campaign was so successful that they renewed for an additional 12 months.

Results

233% increase in traffic
564 leads
383 new customers
664 additional blog subscribers
225% in social media followers

So does digital marketing work in the outdoor, shooting sports and defense industry?

Yes, it does— unfortunately banging on this drum is difficult because for most marketers putting all their money towards print, PR and tradeshow is more comfortable. However, with the customer base skewing younger, I would argue traditional is becoming a risky bet.

Digital marketing is all about daily repeatable tasks. Identify a clear message, the right channels, launch, track, optimize, tweak, rinse, and repeat.

As you consider this year’s marketing budget, think about what a reliable digital marketing program can do for your company’s growth and the added benefits of a profitable revenue channel that works for you 24/7/365.

5 KEYS ON HOW TO STAND OUT IN A COMPETITIVE MARKETPLACE

Josh Claflin, President at Garrison Everest and StoryBrand Certified Guide, helps companies who are struggling to stand out in the crowded marketplace and attract new customers.

Follow @joshuajclaflin

Sep 06

Outdoor Wire: Garrison Everest now offering certified StoryBrand messaging services

By Joshua Claflin Firearms Marketing, Outdoor

Nashville, Tennessee — Standing out in the competitive outdoor, shooting sports and defense marketplace can be difficult—if not impossible. Everyone says and does the same things that hinder the best products and services from reaching their potential. And with more distractions from smartphones, emails and advertisements, having a clear and concise message is more important than ever.

Garrison Everest is pleased to announce its StoryBrand certification and that it is now offering this proven framework to the outdoor and firearms industry. The StoryBrand framework is based on New York Times best-selling author Donald Miller’s Building a StoryBrand, Clarify Your Message so Customers will Listen. Its framework is built around the power of storytelling that is applied to marketing to help brands communicate more clearly in the age of distraction. StoryBrand helps outdoor, firearms and defense brands do the following:

Answer the seven universal story points all humans respond to
Understand the real reason customers make purchases
Learn to simplify a brand message so people understand and act on it
Learn to create the most effective messaging for websites, advertising, email and social media

Thousands of businesses have trusted StoryBrand to help them clarify their message, revolutionize their marketing, and grow their businesses. It has been used in major motion pictures, award-winning websites and ad campaigns.

“I see many brands not communicating clearly as I look across the industry. Confusing messaging is stymieing their growth and perhaps the growth of our industry. StoryBrand helps you clarify your message so customers will listen,” says Josh Claflin, president of Garrison Everest.

Garrison Everest is offering a Webinar: How to Stand Out In the Marketplace with StoryBrand on Tuesday, September 10, 2019 at 1PM (Central Time Zone). Seats are limited and will fill up fast. Save your seat at: https://www.garrisoneverest.com/storybrand-webinar

About Garrison Everest

Do you struggle to stand out in the marketplace? Whether you’re just starting out or looking to take your product or service to the next level, get the guidance, expertise and assurance you need to maximize your marketing dollars, rise above the marketplace noise and beat your competition. Garrison Everest offers several marketing solutions to help you stand out, attract new customers and grow your business. Schedule a call at www.garrisoneverest.com

About StoryBrand

StoryBrand helps brands clarify their message so that customers listen. The StoryBrand framework, which is trusted by over 10,000 organizations, will help you confidently create websites and emails that actually work, without spending a fortune on marketing that doesn’t. Learn more at www.storybrand.com

Josh Claflin, President at Garrison Everest and StoryBrand Certified Guide, helps companies who are struggling to stand out in the crowded marketplace and attract new customers.

Follow @joshuajclaflin

Jul 08

firearms defense marketing plan strategy

INFOGRAPHIC – A Simple Firearms Marketing Strategy That Works

By Joshua Claflin Firearms Marketing

If you had $10-$15,000 dollars to spend on marketing, where would you spend it?

Would you buy some banner ads? Redo your branding? Run an SEO campaign? Do a press release? Put it all on a print ad in Guns and Ammo and let it ride? This is a tough question I get all the time. Most business owners in the firearms, shooting, tech and defense industries struggle with making a determination on what to do when they want to market that they usually just throw up their hands and land on attending a trade show—which doesn’t get them the reach and awareness they are really looking for (at scale) to grow their business.

The below infographic gives you a simple firearms, tech and defense marketing strategy that has been implemented over a thousand times by some of the world’s top brands—and in most cases has quadrupled revenue and has provided a 5x to 8x return on investment. By implementing this simple plan correctly, investing in the long term and committing to improvement, you’ll have a solid marketing program you can build off of for years to come.

StoryBrand Links:

By taking the time to clarify your message and figure out these aspects of your brand’s story, you will be able to transform your marketing, attract new customers and stand out in the crowded marketplace.

Building a StoryBrand by Donald Miller
Take an Online Workshop
Attend a 2-Day in-person workshop in Nashville
Download the StoryBrand Marketing Roadmap
Schedule a call with me, get a clear plan on how stand out in the crowded outdoor, hunting, defense and firearms marketplace

5 KEYS ON HOW TO STAND OUT IN A COMPETITIVE MARKETPLACE

Josh Claflin, President at Garrison Everest and StoryBrand Certified Guide, helps companies who are struggling to stand out in the crowded marketplace and attract new customers.

Follow @joshuajclaflin

Sources:

Jun 05

How Firearms Companies Can Outthink Their Competition With Inbound Marketing

By Joshua Claflin Firearms Marketing, Outdoor

For most emerging firearms and outdoor sports companies growing market share comes down to a matter of numbers.

You know your product is good because you’ve gone to great lengths to make it durable, reliable and functional (which is an absolute must in this industry). You’ve received positive feedback from your customers, signed some solid purchase orders, your website, packaging and brand look great—but you just can’t seem to grow in the way or as fast as you’d like.

Smaller firearms, and outdoor sports manufacturers struggle to take their businesses to the next level because of the expensive barrier of entry to print advertising, T.V and trade shows.

However, as some us well know—to bag the beast—you must outthink the beast.

61% of global Internet users research products online. (Source: Interconnected World: Shopping and Personal Finance)
93% of online shoppers begin by using a search engine. (Source: Hubspot)
90% of the purchase lifecycle is over before a customer decides to buy (Source: iMedia)
65% of U.S. shoppers research products and services on a computer and make a purchase in-store (Source: Cisco)

… and these numbers are on the rise.

In this article, I give you 6 points about how you can “outthink” your competition in the firearms, shooting or outdoor sports business by looking at an online strategy first—versus investing more in trade show, TV or print.

1. What is inbound marketing?

Since 2006, inbound marketing has been an effective marketing method for doing business online. Sometimes called “digital” or “content marketing,” “inbound” is the opposite of “outbound marketing.” Where outbound is buying print ads, placing a TV spot and praying for customers; inbound marketing focuses on creating quality content that pulls people toward your company and product, where they naturally want to be. By aligning the content you publish with your customer’s interests and by solving their problems and answering their most burning questions about: “What AR-15 should I buy? What do I need in an optic? Or what kind of recoil pad is the best? — you naturally attract website visitors—or inbound traffic—that you can convert to customers and turn them into promoters of your brand. (Source: Hubspot)

An inbound approach also lends credibility and trust to your dealers by enabling them to reference great information off your website when their customers are asking for recommendations on what to buy or how your product works.

2. Why inbound marketing now?

Consumer behavior has shifted over the years. The days of “push” advertising and “salesy” tactics have lost their effectiveness. If you think about it, you yourself skip television commercials when watching your favorite show on the Sportsman Channel, ignore flashing online ads when surfing GunsandAmmo.com, hang up on cold callers, tune out radio ads that you have no interest in and throw the direct mail in the trash. Years of being bombarded with this “intrusive” form of advertising has changed the way consumers prefer to get information about the products they want to buy. Inbound turns outbound on its head. Instead of constantly pushing your message on your customers, you attract them to your website through your content.

Inbound marketing has been proven to generate 54% more leads than traditional paid marketing and saves you $20K on average a year over outbound marketing.

3. Content is the secret sauce

Content can be a blog, video, checklist, ebook, whitepaper or a download that attempts to solve your customer’s problems in a relevant way. Blogging is the best way to get started. Did you know that if you’re not creating content on a regular basis, Google will drop your search engine rankings?

For a good example of a blog, take a look at Beretta’s blog.

4. What am I going to write about?

Everyone is an expert in something. If writing isn’t your forte, you can always hire someone to help you out. There are hundreds of industry writers looking for work. Start by forming a list of questions that you hear most from your customers or dealers. Take that list and form it into a series of blog posts. In time, you’ll have more than enough to write about.

Most companies in this industry who blog—are blogging mostly for self-promotional purposes. Shooters, firearms, and outdoor enthusiasts don’t want to hear how great you are—they want to hear how you can help them. In the process, you’ll earn their respect, trust and ultimately their wallet.

5. Online marketing is not about Facebook and Instagram likes

There are plenty of manufacturers who have thousands of followers and likes on their Facebook/Instagram page. However, those likes don’t necessarily translate into website traffic and sales—especially now that less than 1% of your posts are ever seen by your followers. It is important to show “social proof” but Facebook likes alone does not mean you have an online marketing strategy. And with more and more anti-gun sentiment on social media, investing in Facebook is getting risky.

6. Get there first

Today, there are only a few companies in the hunting, firearm and outdoor sports industry doing inbound marketing. From working in multiple industries and in the firearms/outdoor industry with a very well known brand—that the world, in general, is moving more and more online. The companies who start now will have a huge advantage down the road. By owning the online space in your category—be it knives, firearms, tactical rifles, safes, optics, suppressors, EDC etc.—you will gain significant advantage over your competitors.

FREE EBOOK: THE ESSENTIAL STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE TO INBOUND MARKETING FOR THE FIREARMS INDUSTRY

In this comprehensive guide, you will learn the 6 essential steps to internet marketing success.

1. Optimizing Your Website
2. Creating Content
3. Implementing a Social Strategy
4. Converting Visitors into Leads
5. Nurturing Leads into Customers
6. Analyzing & Refining Data

Josh Claflin, President at Garrison Everest and StoryBrand Certified Guide, helps companies who are struggling to stand out in the crowded marketplace and attract new customers.

Follow @joshuajclaflin

May 31

These 5 Website Elements Will Make Your Business More Money

By Joshua Claflin StoryBrand, Web Design

Websites have changed a lot over the years. Websites were once solely used to give information about your company. But now websites are ground zero for businesses trying to grow their brand, generate revenue, attract employees, host content and much more.

However, too many businesses get their website wrong because they hire designers or agencies who aren’t very clear on how to communicate their brand’s message and who can’t optimize their site for maximum efficiency—especially in markets that are ultra-competitive and difficult to stand out in.

If you’re struggling to understand how to make your website more effective and need some help, you might want to pass this article on to your designer, agency or web manager to get things back on track.

1. Clear header

The very first thing your website should do when a visitor lands on your homepage or landing page—within 5 seconds—is tell your visitor what you offer in clear words.

We StoryBrand Guides call this the “grunt test.” A caveman should be able to look at your header and grunt what it is you offer. If your website’s header doesn’t’ pass the grunt test – better go back to the drawing board.

Do it right:
In simple words, say what it is you do in 7 words or less. Add a small description underneath if you need to clarify further.

2. Don’t hide the cash register

To the ladies reading this post, what if a guy walks up to you at a bar and says, “hey, let’s get started!”

Your first response would be, “get started doing what?” Then you’d probably throw a drink in his face.

But how many times have you seen this call to action on a website? Call to actions must be crystal clear to be understood. Examples of a clear call to action:

Buy Now
Schedule a Call
Book an Appointment
Check Out

By not having a clear CTA on your website — you’re hiding the cash register. If people don’t know how to buy from you, how can you expect to make any money?

Do it right: “Don’t make me think” is an old mantra from 2003 on web design that is still applicable today. You must tell your prospects what you want them to do. Your call to action should be an up or down answer—that they either accept or reject.

3. How will you help your customer be successful?

Value propositions can sometimes be confusing to understand. A value prop can be simply understood by asking yourself this question: What do I offer that will make my customer successful? Or asked another way: What are the 3-4 reasons my customer should do business with me? I get this question all the time because even in marketing—I also have my own set of competitors to deal with. Value propositions should also explain why your product or service works better than your competitors.

Do it right: Failing not to list the added benefits (or value) to your prospects/customers will make your website less effective.

4. What are the stakes?

On your website, tell your prospects what is at stake if they don’t work with you. You have to show them the future if they don’t act now to get their problem resolved. This can be as simple as writing a before or after or a with or without statement.

Do it right: Show your customers what the future will look like if they work with you.

5. Give your prospect a plan

This section of your website should outline in 3-4 steps how to buy from you. This may seem counterintuitive but you need to explain it. The plan will help decrease the friction points and help them overcome any hesitancies they may have.

Do it right: Like stepping stones in a river, show your prospect how to get to the other side.

To sum up, make sure your header clearly tells what you do and passes the grunt test, add a clear call to action (no wishy-washy get started stuff) how you will help your customer achieve success, the stakes involved if they don’t work with you and the steps needed to get started. By adding these elements in your business, you will see an uptick in revenue.

5 KEYS ON HOW TO STAND OUT IN A COMPETITIVE MARKETPLACE

Josh Claflin, President at Garrison Everest and StoryBrand Certified Guide, helps companies who are struggling to stand out in the crowded marketplace and attract new customers.

Follow @joshuajclaflin

May 13

3 StoryBrand Website Imperatives You Need To Know in 2019

By Joshua Claflin Brand Development, StoryBrand

A serious problem has come to my attention as I’ve invested more in my ongoing education to become a better communicator and marketer of 20 years in the digital age.

Looking across the industries I focus on—I see a vast majority of new companies failing to adapt their brand message to today’s overloaded, distracted “Instagram scrolling” consumer. And it’s costing their company money.

Marketing has never been more difficult—especially for start-up brands. Reaching customers and getting them to pay attention to you takes more than just a great product, customer service, warranty, imagery, clever headlines, and catchy value props. In today’s distracted world, you need to be more clear.

In this post, I want to share three imperatives from a StoryBrand Guide’s perspective you need to know if you’re a startup or growth-stage company when marketing in the age of distraction.

1. People are distracted more than ever

Every day people are bombarded with more and more information. In addition to the numerous ads on billboards, print, and TV—we’re also exposed to texts (781 billion text messages are sent every month in the United States as of June 2017), messages, emails, pop-ups, and push notifications. All this adds up to information overload.

“Cute and clever” messaging on most websites and print ads fail to give the customer what they need to understand about how your product will help them in a clear and straightforward way.

Your customers (and yourself) also have a much harder time paying attention today.

See these statistics:

The average attention span has fallen from 20 seconds to 8 seconds (Source: Wyzol)
The average time on your website is less than 10-15 seconds
The average number of times per hour an office worker checks their email: 30

Confusion and distraction lead to all sorts of problems.

Customers don’t understand what you offer
Your sales team can’t differentiate your products in the marketplace
The why of your work is foggy and leaves teams wondering how they fit into the goal of your organization

And to make matters worse:

Your message is spoken a thousand different ways
You’re not creating demand and brand awareness in the marketplace
Customers are buying from your competitors

(Source: StoryBrand)

Getting your message right and making it super simple is what’s needed to combat and win with today’s distracted consumer.

If you’re interested in knowing how to clarify your message, check out these resources:

2. People don’t read websites anymore, they scan them

It’s now a known fact that you have less than 10 seconds to grab a potential prospect’s attention when they land on your website, see your ad, read your packaging or read your email. That’s a shorter span than a goldfish.

A user will only read 28% of your text on your website before leaving!

There are alot of brands who assume new visitors will understand what they sell. You must make it super clear what your product or service specifically does.

Examples:

The Best Plumbers in Denver
We Help You Plan the Perfect Vacation
Workshops to Help You Clarify Your Message
The Clearest Optics for Bird Watchers

These may not sound super sexy—but they work in the age of distraction. They make it clear to your customer what you do and saves them from having to burn a lot of brain calories.

Your website, brochures, tradeshow booths, packaging, emails, and advertising should include a clear headline that simply states the problem your product solves along with a clear call to action.

Carvana, one of my favorite websites, does a great job using StoryBrand elements to design their home page.

3. A more explicit message will help you beat the competition—even if they have a better product than you

Really?

Yes…

When other companies load down their marketing materials with gobs of text and make themselves the hero of their brand and not the customer—you can begin to see that clarity is a strategy that works to cut through today’s noise and clutter and make your marketing more effective.

“The clearer you are the more profitable you will be.”

So what are some reasons your customers are tuning you out? I’ve pulled a few stats that might shed some light:

45% of consumers will unfollow a brand if their activity is dominated by self-promotion. Branding and marketing aren’t just about tooting your own horn. You need to provide valuable, engaging information and insights to build trust. Make your social media efforts about the customer and their needs or challenges, not just about how great you are. (Source: Zimmer Communications)
Consistent presentation of a brand increases revenue by 23% on average. Repetition and consistency are two cornerstones of any successful branding efforts. By presenting your brand consistently, over time, consumers will internalize your brand values and be more likely to purchase. (Source: Zimmer Communications)
By having a clear message on your website, you can reduce your bounce rate by 20-30%.
In our own tests, we’ve seen some significant changes for the better just by a more explicit framework.

In conclusion, standing out in today’s crowded marketplace is getting more difficult if you continue to follow messaging strategies of the early ’00s. Today’s distracted consumer will move down your sales funnel faster if you can communicate more clearly.

Leave the “cute and clever” to your competitors.

5 KEYS ON HOW TO STAND OUT IN A COMPETITIVE MARKETPLACE

Josh Claflin, President at Garrison Everest and StoryBrand Certified Guide, helps companies who are struggling to stand out in the crowded marketplace and attract new customers.

Follow @joshuajclaflin

Apr 18

5 Firearm Marketing Alternatives You Haven’t Thought Of Yet

By Joshua Claflin Firearms and Hunting

It’s 2019, and it’s harder than ever to get your message out to law-abiding customers. In this article you will learn about:

Podcasts – The old is new and the new is old.
Inbound Marketing – Create a strong digital footprint for years to come by creating blogs, lead-generators, email marketing and SEO to generate traffic, leads and customers.
Native Advertising – Publish branded content on major publisher sites and add your advertising within the content for context and greater ad results.
Focus on the women segment – Women are a burgeoning segment are you focused on them?
Influencers – Circumvent Facebook and Instagram restrictions to reach your audience through trusted social media content creators.
Storytelling – Leverage the power of the StoryBrand Framework to clarify your brand message so customers will listen.

It’s 2019, and it’s harder than ever to get your message out to law-abiding customers.

If you’re not a big well-known brand like Ruger or Smith & Wesson, marketing your firearms brand and line of products for recreational shooting and hunting can leave you scratching your head wondering what to do.

Facebook, Google and YouTube which was once a bastion for firearm, ammunition, and hunting knife companies to advertise, now bans all paid advertising related to direct weapon sales.

Fox, the NFL and other major media outlets that used to be friendly to firearm manufacturers have shut the door as well. You may remember when Daniel Defense tried to run an ad in 2003 on the Super Bowl.

Below I’ve identified five firearm marketing alternatives that you haven’t thought of yet that will help you get your message out, build your brand and attract new customers.

1. Podcasts

The old is new and the new is old. In the last two years we’ve seen a resurgence in podcasts. Podcasts like Dan Bongino, GunTalk, The Dana Show, Restless Native and SilencerCo’s podcast offer a way for your brand to reach a broader audience and leverage the trust of the host. Latest stats show 51% of people have listened to a podcast with over 32% (90 million) listened to a podcast in the last month – up from 26% in 2018 (Infinite Dial 19). We’ve had great success with podcasts and it’s worth checking out.

2. Inbound Marketing

I make it no secret that the inbound marketing methodology is a perfect fit for firearm manufacturers with a lengthy purchase process. Brands like Mossberg, Springfield Armory, Stag Arms and Beretta, are already using inbound effectively and getting great results. Inbound marketing uses search engine optimized content, downloadable offers, landing pages, forms, social media and email marketing to attract, engage and delight customers. Inbound provides substantial cost savings to manufacturers, and the best part is, it’s all completely trackable. It removes the black box of advertising and provides real ROI and understanding of your brand and marketing efforts. Inbound is an important digital marketing element to Influencer Marketing.

3. Native Advertising

What is native advertising? Native advertising delivers top-level paid or earned content within the normal reading stream of organic content. These would include recommendation widgets, sponsored content and in-feed social. What binds all of these distribution tactics together is the word “in-feed.” They all deliver top-funnel content within the normal reading stream of organic content. It looks like it’s supposed to be there. (Source: Chad Pollitt)

Similar to the below example by Crimson Trace, native advertising is about creating helpful content and then placing your product within it as a reference or as a sponsor. For example, you may write an article on the “5 Things You Need To Know About Home Defense” and submit it to an online magazine (earned or paid) then mention your brand as the perfect fit for a first-time buyer.

Check out how Crimson Trace does it within their First Defender Library.

Photo by Weatherby

4. Women

Women are a burgeoning segment in the industry as you might already know (Source: NSSF). You should consider using content or sponsoring a free shooting class or range day in your local newspaper or county magazine to attract interested customers. Women are helping change some of the negative stereotypes typically associated with the firearm industry. Firearm manufacturers should embrace this trend and do all they can to promote it. Weatherby just launched their Women of Weatherby website devoted and targeted towards women. Springfield Armory’s Night of Saint also seeks to capitalize on women as well. These two brands have recognized the immense opportunity this demographic holds and are seizing the opportunity by getting out in front. Look for more large manufacturers to follow in the months to come.

5. Influencers

Influencer marketing is a type of marketing that uses category leaders or celebrities to communicate your brand’s message and content to their vast number of followers. Instead of buying print ads or filming commercials, you use the influencer to get the word out for you instead. The industry is taking increased notice of influencers like Military Arms Channel, Hickok45, IV8888 Gun Collective and Warrior Poet Society. Influencers who have large networks of trusted followers represent an important component of your marketing mix. By tapping these well-known hunters and shooters, you can gain entrance into larger audiences.

Bonus! But wait there’s more…

Another alternative that will transform your marketing, brand awareness, and overall messaging is utilizing a framework based on storytelling. Story is a sense-making device used since the dawn of time to communicate—our brains are hardwired for it. Used properly, story will give you an edge over your competitors—even if their product is better. The reason why story works so well is that it cuts through the clutter and distraction of today’s ultra-competitive outdoor, shooting and firearms industry that helps your brand stand out among all the other “me-too” claims and clearly communicates the benefits of your product’s benefits without all the fluff. Too many brands play the hero, when they need to be playing the guide. This helps your customer understand your offering faster and helps them become something better e.g., a better marksman, more accurate, more aware, savvier or in some cases more advanced. For more information on story check out this online workshop.

In conclusion, marketing in these changing times may not be as difficult as you think. By utilizing podcasts, content, the women segment, influencers and story—you have the makings of a strong digital marketing strategy that is trackable and more efficient.

5 KEYS ON HOW TO STAND OUT IN A COMPETITIVE MARKETPLACE

Is your firearm brand getting noticed?
In this ebook, we’ll give you 5 keys for 2019 that will help you differentiate and grow your business. We’ll share why it’s important to have a clear brand message, how to build a website that works, a simple marketing plan, how to gather testimonials the right way and a few marketing tactics that offer the biggest bang for your buck.

Josh Claflin, President at Garrison Everest and StoryBrand Certified Guide, helps companies who are struggling to stand out in the crowded marketplace and attract new customers.

Follow @joshuajclaflin

Apr 02

To Stand Out In The Outdoor Marketplace, Make Your Customer The Hero, Not Your Brand

By Joshua Claflin Outdoor

Standing out in the ultra-competitive outdoor, hunting and firearms industry is really difficult—if not impossible. The imagery is getting better. The copy is more persuasive. The products are more durable and it seems like every brand claims the same thing:

We Make the World’s_____.
We’re the Superior ______.
We’re #1 in _____.
The Worlds’ Most_____.
The Ultimate _____.

Does the above list sound familiar? A quick look through any outdoor, hunting or firearms magazine and you’ll see what I mean.

There’s nothing wrong with claiming to be the best—if you’re a brand who really is the market leader – MagPul (Mags), Sig (Pistols), Ruger (10/22), Remington (700)—you earned it. But for brands less well known, making such claims can be down-right dishonest. The truth is, if you’re a relative unknown brand making the claim that you’re “the best,” you’re wasting money on marketing and your customers don’t believe you anyway. False claims have caused a backlash in other industries as well as our own.

The same methods used in the movies can also apply to your outdoor, hunting, defense or firearms business.

1. A Character

Make your customer the hero, not your brand.

Q: How can you make your customer the hero?

Brands that participate in the transformation of their customers win in the marketplace. (Source: StoryBrand)

2. Has a Problem

Q: What problem does your product or service solve?

A story gets interesting when the conflict is defined. (Source: StoryBrand)

3. Meets a Guide Who Understands Them

No hero can solve the problem on their own. They can try, but it won’t be as successful nor as exciting. Luke Skywalker had Ben Kenobi, Cole Trickle had Harry Hogge, and Neo had Morpheus.

This is how your brand plays the guide:

First, you must show Empathy. Empathy means to relate. How can you empathize with your customer’s problem?
Second is Authority. Heroes look to guides who have gone before them. If you haven’t gone where your customer wants to go, how can you be the guide? How have you solved the same problem your customer is trying to solve? This must be communicated clearly to establish trust.

Never position yourself as the hero in your brand’s story. (Source: StoryBrand)

4. Who gives them a Plan

Q: What are the steps your customer must take to work with you?

A plan alleviates confusion or hesitancy about the next step. (Source: StoryBrand)

5. And Calls them to Action

No story can proceed until the hero is called to action. Your customer will not take action unless they are challenged. You must call them to do something.

Buy Now
Schedule A Call
Sign Up
Find A Dealer

are all clear call to actions. This language must be repeated over and over again to make it clear what it is you want your customer to do.

Q: Do you have a clear call to action on your website?

If we don’t have the confidence to ask people to buy from us, they assume our product won’t solve their problem. (Source: StoryBrand)

6. That Helps Them Avoid Failure

Two forces motivate people: avoiding failure and experiencing success. Every human being is trying to avoid a tragic ending. Your customer must know how you will help them be successful.

Q: How will your product or service help your customer avoid failure.

Human beings are sometimes more motivated to avoid a loss than achieve gain. (Source: StoryBrand)

7. Or Ends in Success

As the guide, you must cast the vision of what success looks like if your customer uses your product or services.

Communicate through words and images that your product or service solves your customers’ problems. (Source: StoryBrand)

By understanding these seven principles, you will be able to

Stop wasting money on ineffective marketing
Get and keep your customers attention
Cut through the marketplace clutter of me-too products
Attract more customers

By taking the time to clarify your message and figure out these aspects of your story, you will be able to transform your marketing, attract new customers and stand out in the crowded marketplace.

If you’d like to check out the book StoryBrand or learn more about the process yourself you can:

You can also schedule a call with me, and get a clear plan on how stand out in the crowded outdoor, hunting, defense and firearms marketplace.

5 KEYS ON HOW TO STAND OUT IN A COMPETITIVE MARKETPLACE

Josh Claflin, President at Garrison Everest and StoryBrand Certified Guide, helps companies who are struggling to stand out in the crowded marketplace and attract new customers.

Follow @joshuajclaflin

Feb 19

Three Game Changing Takeaways From The StoryBrand Conference 2019

By Joshua Claflin Brand Development, StoryBrand

I just completed a ground-breaking week-long study on consumer behavior, by Donald Miller, a New York Times and Wall Street Journal Best Selling Author, on how to use the power of story to clearly communicate for better results. I wanted to share with you my three biggest takeaways that is sure to get you thinking differently about your business and how to communicate your brand’s message with greater clarity.

We are at a point in human history where your prospective customers and clients are bombarded with an unprecedented amount of noise and clutter. Facebook ads, phone dings, bings and bops, emails, podcasts, pop up banners, click-bait and unsolicited phone calls and texts have made it difficult to make any money spent on marketing work as good as it used to.

Furthermore, these intrusive methods have made brands untrustful as some companies have tricked customers into buying their products which have driven trust among brands past the point of no return. This barrage of distraction has the potential to stymie your business growth, waste thousands of dollars on marketing that doesn’t work and ultimately bring your business to the precipice.

However, there is a unique proven framework to fight against this to make your marketing work—and it has to do with the power of story. You see, storytelling has been a way to communicate with just about everyone since the dawn of time. It’s the sole reason the 43 Billion dollar movie industry continues to thrive year after year. And when you think about it, it’s the reason we love to sit around the campfire and listen to someone who overcame impossible odds that ended in success. And since story is used to create clarity in our understanding—it’s a perfect tool to infuse into your business and marketing communications that cuts through the clutter, grabs your customer’s attention and ultimately drives more sales. This process has been proven in thousands of businesses including brands like Chik-Fil-A, Pantene, Car Max, Intel, Berkshire Hathaway, and even Presidential political campaigns.

So in the following, I’ll give you my three biggest takeaways from last week’s StoryBrand Conference with some links to some resources that will give you more understanding on the power of story and how to use it to grow your business.

1. People don’t read websites, they scan them.

Website Wireframe

People don’t buy the best products, they buy the ones they understand the clearest. When you’re trying to build your business, clarity beats cute and clever every time. Your website is the hub of all your marketing activities and is the easiest way to track marketing spend. If a prospective customer lands on your website and you can’t spell out to them how you solve their problem within 8 seconds, you lose them. They bounce off and find someone else who can, usually a competitor.

2. Customer’s buy products or services based on internal problems, not external problems.

The difference between an internal and external problem is this:

The external problem is the tangible obstacle your customer has to overcome to get the thing that they want.

Ex. I need a new set of binoculars, mine just busted.”

Because your character is facing the external problem, how is that making them feel internally?

Ex. “I have a big adventure trip coming up and if I don’t have good set of binos I’m going to miss out on seeing all the wildlife.”

See the difference? The internal problem miss out has much more meaning behind it because the results are more tragic than the external problem. Most marketers communicate the external problem and don’t sell the internal problem.

3. Your product/service should show how the customer will transform into something better.

People naturally want to become better. Whether you’re trying to lose weight, become a better speaker, hire a better candidate or grow a bigger business—we all want to be aspire to our future itself. For example, a hunter in the below MTN OPS post wants to become a “conquering outdoor athlete.” For a hiker, it could be to become a “conservationist sojourner.” For a fitness fanatic, it could be to become “the athlete everyone wants to be.” Whatever your customer wants to become—you have to show how your product or service will get them there. Most companies put all the focus on their products benefits and features, not what their customer’s want to become. This doesn’t trigger the emotional responses in the brain needed to help your customer understand how you can help them or move them to the desired call to action.

View this post on Instagram

@chadmendes taking it all in at last light during his Utah Mule Deer Hunt. | #MtnOps #ConquerMore | 📷 @luke.dusenbury
A post shared by MTN OPS (@mtnops) on Oct 31, 2018 at 3:25pm PDT

By taking the time to clarify your message and figure out these aspects of your messaging, you will be able to transform your marketing and grow your business. In the following weeks, I will be rolling out a series of articles based on story and the StoryBrand process.

If you’d like to check out the book and learn more about the process yourself you can:

You can also schedule a call with me and get a clear plan on how to move forward that will allow you to grow your business more effectively in the age of distraction.

Brand Development Inbound Marketing Consultant Josh Claflin, Principal at Garrison Everest, helps companies in the outdoor, active lifestyle, tech and defense industry who are struggling to develop clear brand messaging and increase revenue through online channels.

Follow @joshuajclaflin

Joshua Claflin

1. What makes advertising effective?

2. But now we’re at risk.

3. Virtue signaling

4. Social media and the ensuing increase in gun ownership

5. God, America, Guns, Masculinity, and Trump

So, what is the future of firearm advertising?

1. A Character

2. Has a Problem

3. Meets a Guide Who Understands Them

4. Who gives them a Plan

5. And Calls them to Action

6. That Helps Them Avoid Failure

7. Or Ends in Success

5 KEYS ON HOW TO STAND OUT IN A COMPETITIVE MARKETPLACE

5 KEYS ON HOW TO STAND OUT IN A COMPETITIVE MARKETPLACE

5 KEYS ON HOW TO STAND OUT IN A COMPETITIVE MARKETPLACE

FREE EBOOK: THE ESSENTIAL STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE TO INBOUND MARKETING

5 KEYS ON HOW TO STAND OUT IN A COMPETITIVE MARKETPLACE

5 KEYS ON HOW TO STAND OUT IN A COMPETITIVE MARKETPLACE

FREE EBOOK: THE ESSENTIAL STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE TO INBOUND MARKETING FOR THE FIREARMS INDUSTRY

5 KEYS ON HOW TO STAND OUT IN A COMPETITIVE MARKETPLACE

1. People are distracted more than ever

2. People don’t read websites anymore, they scan them

3. A more explicit message will help you beat the competition—even if they have a better product than you

5 KEYS ON HOW TO STAND OUT IN A COMPETITIVE MARKETPLACE

5 KEYS ON HOW TO STAND OUT IN A COMPETITIVE MARKETPLACE

1. A Character

2. Has a Problem

3. Meets a Guide Who Understands Them

4. Who gives them a Plan

5. And Calls them to Action

6. That Helps Them Avoid Failure

7. Or Ends in Success

5 KEYS ON HOW TO STAND OUT IN A COMPETITIVE MARKETPLACE

1. People don’t read websites, they scan them.

2. Customer’s buy products or services based on internal problems, not external problems.

3. Your product/service should show how the customer will transform into something better.

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