Tom Rinks, Sun Bum co-founder, shares branding advice with early-stage founders. Topics include refining brand identities, marketing strategies for unique products like hand scrubs, navigating competitive markets for hats, and innovative technology for children's bedtime stories.
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Quick takeaways
Founders should refine brand identities to target specific markets effectively.
Utilizing social media marketing and targeting niche audiences can raise product awareness.
Building emotional connections through storytelling can enhance brand appeal and market presence.
Deep dives
Unique Recording Device for Reading Children's Books
The Read to Me, Recordable Book Buddy is a device that allows users to record themselves reading children's books and can then be attached to the back cover for the child to listen to the recorded story. The idea stemmed from the founder's childhood experience of receiving cassette tapes of his grandma reading picture books. The product is efficiently designed with 21 buttons, solid-state memory, and requires no apps for long-term use.
Increasing Awareness Through Targeted Marketing Channels
Despite having a unique product that fulfills a specific need, the challenge lies in raising awareness as potential customers may not actively search for such a solution. To generate awareness, the company has focused on wholesaling to indie bookshops successfully, but now aims to expand beyond this limited audience. One effective strategy could be leveraging social media marketing and engaging with micro-influencers, specifically targeting grandparents who can benefit from using the product.
Potential Military Market and Collaborations
An alternative marketing approach could involve targeting the military community, particularly parents deployed on missions who desire to read to their children from afar. Partnering with military stores like the Navy Exchange could provide a substantial avenue for product placement and sales. Additionally, establishing a program to donate devices to deployed parents or encouraging customers to buy one for a military family member could evoke emotional connections and drive sales. By emphasizing the product's utility for military families, the company could tap into a significant market segment with a compelling narrative.
Revamping Website Design and Branding Strategy
To enhance the product's appeal and market presence, a redesign of the website and branding strategy is recommended. A focus on visual aesthetics, clearer messaging, and improved photography can substantially enhance the presentation of the Read to Me device. Emphasizing the emotional aspect of connecting families through reading, particularly in distant or military scenarios, can create a powerful and relatable brand story that resonates with target audiences.
Utilizing Collaborations and Gifting Programs
Further strategies could involve collaborating with organizations that support military families and deploying a gifting program where customers can purchase devices for military parents. These partnerships and initiatives not only expand market reach but also align the product with a meaningful cause, fostering brand loyalty and community engagement. By harnessing the emotional resonance of family connections and storytelling, the Read to Me device can carve a unique and impactful niche in the market.
Sun Bum co-founder Tom Rinks joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage founders about refining their brand identities.
Today we meet Wendy, a former comedian whose sugar scrub takes the sticky-icky off your hands. Then Allyson, who went from producing reality television to trucker hats designed for women’s heads. And Zephyrus, an opera performer with a new way for kids to hear their favorite bedtime stories.
If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.