Oh I love this SO much! Elite yet ubiquitous is the ultimate commercial sweet spot in my eyes. You've created distinct brand leverage, and yet you've created enough awareness and distribution to be familiar enough for consumers to try...and even *gasp* like!
Thanks for articulating this so succinctly, Wes. I'll be referring to this again.
You're right about this, Wes. Brand identities are not "overlays." To be successful, a brand -- whether personal or commercial -- has to be authentic, evolving from the inside out, not the other way around. It's tempting to let your logo lead the way. In fact, logos and great design result from (and only after) the really hard work of determining what you stand for and why. Form follows function every time.
"Elite yet ubiquitous" - this was new learning! Thanks Wes :) I could relate to the example of Bose. Looking back at my previous role a few years ago - I could relate this idea to way we were trying to position an MLOps product. We trying to be as "elite" as possible - driving away many potential customers!
Very interesting read, Wes. It gives you food for thought.
I think luxury has its market. There are brands not sold on purpose to the masses, but with crazy prices, making them profitable.
I assume the problem at Maven was trying to pick the elite artistic side in the design department, but keeping the product aimed at the masses. A misalignment.
Pretty important to "take the complete pack". Either we are elite and change our target customer, or we keep all clear we aim at the masses.
Maven's price point was premium. Courses cost $750-$1,500 on Maven vs $10-$15 on platforms like Udemy. So we wanted to reflect that the brand was elite while being accessible. That's why it took finesse. If you're selling $1 widgets for $10,000 Hermes handbags, the lines are more clear cut. If you're anywhere in the middle (which most products/brands are), you need to be more strategic and thoughtful about how you position and express your positioning.
This is PURE GOLD. You simply stated and provided killer examples for points that many people find difficult to articulate. Love.
Thank you so much, this means a lot Michelle 🙏
Love this Wes. It’s something I have pondered but you spelled the point out so beautifully with those examples.
Thank you for being here and learning together Matt
I just love your posts and always feel a moment where something “clicks” when I read them.
You made my day. Thank you Courtney ❤️
Oh I love this SO much! Elite yet ubiquitous is the ultimate commercial sweet spot in my eyes. You've created distinct brand leverage, and yet you've created enough awareness and distribution to be familiar enough for consumers to try...and even *gasp* like!
Thanks for articulating this so succinctly, Wes. I'll be referring to this again.
Love that this is resonating with you Laura!
Wow, loved this story. Elite, but ubiquitous.
We are cool, but cool for the masses.
Love how you framed things to be cool for your customers but not too cool.
You need to make sure your branding speaks what you want to convey to your customers and speaks to their needs / wants / desires.
Great write up on branding, thanks Wes!
Appreciate you Caleb
You're right about this, Wes. Brand identities are not "overlays." To be successful, a brand -- whether personal or commercial -- has to be authentic, evolving from the inside out, not the other way around. It's tempting to let your logo lead the way. In fact, logos and great design result from (and only after) the really hard work of determining what you stand for and why. Form follows function every time.
"Elite yet ubiquitous" - this was new learning! Thanks Wes :) I could relate to the example of Bose. Looking back at my previous role a few years ago - I could relate this idea to way we were trying to position an MLOps product. We trying to be as "elite" as possible - driving away many potential customers!
"Elite" can mean many different things--and you don't want to be TOO elite and end up alienating your target customers. Thanks for chiming in TS.
Yes, that's true! This helps to reflect on prior experience and realizing the mistakes.
Prioritize commerce over art. Tough pill to swallow but it hits home. Thanks for sharing, Wes!
Very interesting read, Wes. It gives you food for thought.
I think luxury has its market. There are brands not sold on purpose to the masses, but with crazy prices, making them profitable.
I assume the problem at Maven was trying to pick the elite artistic side in the design department, but keeping the product aimed at the masses. A misalignment.
Pretty important to "take the complete pack". Either we are elite and change our target customer, or we keep all clear we aim at the masses.
Maven's price point was premium. Courses cost $750-$1,500 on Maven vs $10-$15 on platforms like Udemy. So we wanted to reflect that the brand was elite while being accessible. That's why it took finesse. If you're selling $1 widgets for $10,000 Hermes handbags, the lines are more clear cut. If you're anywhere in the middle (which most products/brands are), you need to be more strategic and thoughtful about how you position and express your positioning.
Thanks for the answer, Wes.
That "anywhere in the middle" is a gap I wouldn't know how to navigate. It's an interesting topic to learn more from :)