Brands That Do More Than Sell

You can use your marketing strategy to make the world a better place instead of adding to the noise and in the process, attract better clients who will help you spread your message to every corner of the planet. THIS is the power of enlightened marketing. It’s not a new concept, but it’s definitely coming back into style.

In the powerful guide, Enlightened Marketing For Revolutionary Businesses, I outline the 7 key elements of an evolved marketing strategy that attracts clients, promotes a bigger message, and fills your programs/sells your products while you make a bigger difference in the world. Here, we’re going to look at specific examples from 3 companies that are rocking Step 2 – using evolutionary advantage and U.S.P. to empower a potential client instead of pushing her towards a sale:

Patagonia:

At the time this post was written, Patagonia’s homepage was dominated by a planetary message that has nothing to do with Patagonia’s products, but everything to do with saving the environment from further destruction.

Patagonia is using their above-the-fold prime real estate to direct visitors to a message that doesn’t directly relate to their products!

screen capture of Patagonia website home page showing the wilderness of the Balkan region of EuropeBut in so doing, they reinforce what makes them so special in the outdoor clothing industry – their evolutionary advantage and U.S.P.

Patagonia, more than any other clothing company I’ve ever seen, cares about and makes decisions based on planetary impact. The company has pioneered some of the recycled materials methods, revolutionized what mountaineers wear, provides services to repair the clothing you buy from them instead of buying new, switched their shipping routes to trains to reduce pollution, and fosters an innovative company culture that includes zero private offices (even for top management) and paid sabbaticals for employees who get involved in social or environmental causes.

Impact on the Earth is EVERYTHING to Patagonia and they place it front and center in everything they do. This wildly attracts devoted fans and customers who choose Patagonia time and time again over the competition because they believe in what the company is doing.

Patagonia is proof that you can grow a profitable and sustainable business that survives all the changes in a competitive market when your evolutionary message can come first and your product/services later.

Here’s a link to their homepage:

www.patagonia.com

Which, at the time of writing this, is raising awareness and encouraging action to save the last of Europe’s undammed rivers, known as the Blue Heart in the Balkan region:

blueheart.patagonia.com

 

Real To Ideal:

I use enlightened marketing to help world-changing businesses, thought-leaders, and influencers succeed so that we can replace soul-sucking corporate jobs with revolutionary leaders who are pursuing their highest potential to help solve the planet’s biggest crisis.

The environment is EVERYTHING to me too (which is why I’m such a die-hard and devoted fan of Patagonia!)

I started Real To Ideal so I could afford to donate more money to the causes I believe in. From day 1, I’ve planted a tree for every new client who hires me 1:1 and donated 5-10% of all revenue (before taxes, Paypal fees, etc.) to charities I know, love, and respect.

For my first few years in business, this was a side note. Something you find out if you look closely enough. (It’s always been in the footer of my website, for those who made it that far.)

But one day I realized that keeping this as a footnote in my business was a form of playing small. I realized, that when I stepped onto a bigger stage, in front of a bigger audience, I didn’t want to talk about marketing, branding, or positioning.

I wanted to talk about how we can change the world. Save the world!

My evolutionary advantage and Unique Super Power is bringing people together to effect change. It’s COMMUNITY building. It’s how we can achieve more together.

So I started to put this message at the front of my business, the way Patagonia does. And it changed everything. I’d always attracted amazing clients, but I started to book twice as many sales with half the effort because my community LOVED the revolutionary message and shared it with their audiences. They picked up my message like a flag and waved it with pride for everyone to see!

I had clients offer to pay more to work with me, to cover the costs of the donations I was making in their name. This wasn’t a gimmick to make more money!! It was my own unleashing and uncaging of my true message, my real purpose for why I started this business. And it resonated on a higher level with my soulmate clients!

I haven’t spent the time and money yet to redesign my website and put that message above the fold the way Patagonia has, but I certainly won’t go back to hiding my revolutionary message in the footer anymore!

Meanwhile, I’m using social media to spread my mission, message, and movement to every corner of the planet:

 

For more inspiring, (r)Evolutionary content, Like & Follow Real To Ideal ~

FB: facebook.com/realtoideal 

Twitter: twitter.com/RealToIdeal

 

Amy Walsh

Amy Walsh is a visual artist who helps brands create a totally unique and customized visual story that helps their brand stand out.

And Amy knows that attracting clients is oh-so-much-more than beating them over the head with the idea that they need go beyond free stock photos from Unsplash to attract those totally unique soulmate clients who make us secretly willing to do this work for free because we freaking love it so much.

Sure, she shares posts about how to DIY your own one-of-a-kind images and go beyond the stock photo. Like this PDF on how to master the art of visual storytelling & make amazing social media images:

shows the cover of a PDF that reads: master the art of visual storytelling. Idea Library Part 1. 24 ideas to help you loosen up, get out of your own way, and make amazing social media images for your business.

But she also publishes blog posts like this letter from your soul that speaks to all the things that are keeping you busy and pushing creativity to the backburner.

Read this amazing blog post and then tell me if her U.S.P. of inspiring creativity in her audience is speaking deeply to the fire that burns inside her ideal client or if this is just another value post that makes you want to scroll faster:

A Memorandum From Your Soul on Amy Walsh’s Blog

You can see more of Amy’s incredibly inspiring work on FB:  facebook.com/amywalshcoaching

 

Conclusion

There are a many, many more examples like this, but it’s time to get back to work and unleash your evolutionary advantage and revolutionary message.

I hope these examples helped you get a deeper understanding of how to implement Step 2 of the Enlightened Marketing for Revolutionary Businesses guide to increasing your impact and income.

 

(If you haven’t downloaded this FREE 23-page ebook yet, jump over to here and grab the Enlightened Marketing For Revolutionary Businesses)

 

YOU get to decide what kind of business you’re building, what you want to talk about on a global stage, and how you want to impact your audience.

If you decide that you’re ready to liberate the (r)Evolutionary leader who is not-so-patiently waiting for you to unleash her and fulfill your highest purpose, comment below and let me know how your business is going to change the world!

3 thoughts on “Brands That Do More Than Sell”

  1. Powerful post. I’ve never heard of Patagonia and I’m not in the least bit interested in outdoor activities or clothing, but I still went to have a look at their website. I love the way they state their purpose with no drama, bells or whistles, just a message that’s so f$%kig important!

    I also agree that a response the same size as the crisis needs to be created. I’m honored and proud to be part of the Real to Ideal (r)Evolution!

    Reply
    • Thank you Fiona! And you’re SO right, I love the way you phrased that ~ a response the same size as the crisis needs to be created.

      Thanks for being part of the (r)Evolution (and the solution)!!

      Reply

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