99 PROBLEMS?
THEY ALL STEM FROM ONE.
Learn the importance of your Pivotal Problem—and how to solve it.
How much of each day do you spend committing random acts of marketing?
If your company is like most others, you approach marketing like a home renovation, optimistic that a cheery coat of paint and new furniture (i.e., a new logo, revamped website, updated SEO plan) will yield success. And on the surface, that makes perfect sense: These types of updates can be critical—and when used wisely—powerfully effective.
So why don’t well-meaning, progress-oriented companies always see returns on these types of investments? As fervent marketers, this question more than piqued our curiosity. It set us on a quest for truth that would redefine the way we work, leading us to discover what we like to call the Pivotal Problem.
WHAT IS A PIVOTAL PROBLEM?
Because we like to see metaphors all the way through, think of a Pivotal Problem as a major, structural issue lurking beneath your freshly refinished floorboards. Even if you pour untold time and money into making obvious improvements—whether a fun kitchen backsplash or a custom-designed typeface—you’ll never achieve your desired outcome if your home or your brand has a shoddy foundation.
A Pivotal Problem is the underlying issue blocking your unique value proposition from reaching its full potential. The only way to solve it—and unlock limitless growth—is through deep understanding of your brand and its threats and opportunities in the modern marketplace.
WHAT CHALLENGES ARE BRANDS FACING?
Despite all these challenges, your brand can still find success. But how do you ensure that success is meaningful and lasting? We think the answer comes right back to what’s skulking beneath your proverbial floor boards: Your Pivotal Problem.
Increased Competition
- Global reach: The internet facilitates global competition, putting brands in direct competition with companies worldwide, not just locally.
- Similar offerings: With numerous players offering similar products and services, differentiation becomes mission critical.
The Attention Economy
- Information overload: With countless options and constant exposure to marketing messages, consumers have shorter attention spans than ever, and are more selective when engaging with brands.
- Share of Heart: When you do get the attention of your audience, it can be even harder to convert those eyeballs into loyal connections.
Shifting Consumer Behavior
- Purchasing habits: The paths to purchase are about as individual as the people who walk them. Conversion is anything but linear, constantly shifting the what, when, why, and how of customer decision making. This is particularly acute in B2B decisions, where the complex conversion funnel must engage multiple buying groups for a single purchase decision.
- Evolving digital landscape: New technologies and platforms emerge constantly and put the pressure on brands to stay current. Weathering this pressure requires knowing your brand. This includes knowing how and where to pivot to maintain visibility, and also knowing what is just noise that can be ignored.
Rising Marketing Costs
- Reaching target audiences: With the abundance of marketing channels and competition for ad space, acquiring customer attention can be expensive.
- Demonstrating ROI: Given multiple touchpoints and an increasingly more complicated customer journey, proving the ROI from marketing campaigns can be hard to pinpoint.
Despite all these challenges, your brand can still find success. But how do you ensure that success is meaningful and lasting? We think the answer comes right back to what’s skulking beneath your proverbial floor boards: Your Pivotal Problem.
Identifying Your Pivotal Problem
As mentioned, a pivotal problem is not simply a marketplace roadblock or inconvenience.
It’s the foundational issue that hinders your brand’s ability to reach its full potential. Only by identifying and addressing this root issue can you clarify your marketing efforts and unleash transformative growth.
Diagnosing The Problem
Remember our home renovation analogy, where we jumped to well-meaning conclusions—investing in fresh paint and furniture without taking the time to thoroughly investigate our home’s bigger foundational issue? Proper diagnosis demands that you seek out experts, ask questions, and run tests. Otherwise (to cite another faulty diagnosis example) you risk combing the internet at 2am, spiraling about how your sore toe spells certain doom.
We’ve all been there, and no: Neither you or your brand is dying. But the following symptoms may indicate you have a Pivotal Problem that needs solving before your business can thrive.
If you are currently experiencing one or more of these symptoms, it’s especially crucial to nail down your Pivotal Problem. Doing so creates a powerful domino effect, unlocking solutions to all the challenges you currently face. That’s why getting to the root of your Pivotal Problem is such a meaningful investment in the future of your brand: The chain of aha moments and long-term successes to emerge from your digging will be well worth the effort.
Solving Your Pivotal Problem
Once you’ve diagnosed your Pivotal Problem, it’s time to devise an impactful solution. Please note that the following roadmap is meant to illustrate the Pivotal Problem-solving process—not serve as an exhaustive to-do list. The support and expertise of professional marketers can and should aid your journey.
Unlock The Benefits of Growth
Now for the fun part: The return on your investment! Solving this core challenge sets in motion a series of positive effects that can significantly influence your brand’s success, leading to:
Focused Marketing Strategies
- By understanding the heart of your audience’s needs and challenges, you can craft targeted messaging and campaigns that resonate deeply.
- When you align all marketing channels, you ensure a consistent brand experience across touchpoints.
- Once you eliminate the wasteful scattering of resources, your marketing efforts become laser-focused on addressing the core issue that matters most to your audience.
Distinct Competitive Edge
- Solving your Pivotal Problem in a unique and effective way allows you to stand out from the competition.
- By addressing a critical customer need that others haven’t, you can establish a competitive advantage and position yourself as the brand that truly understands and solves the challenges your audience faces.
- This differentiation attracts customers looking for a solution to their specific problem, leading to increased brand loyalty and advocacy.
Unleashed Growth and Optimization
- Once the Pivotal Problem is identified, the road to sustainable growth and optimization becomes clear.
- Your marketing efforts become more efficient and deliver a higher return on investment, no longer wasting resources on irrelevant tactics that miss the mark.
- Ultimately, you unlock new market opportunities that help you better serve your target audience. This leads to increased sales, market share expansion, and brand recognition
Impactful Results in Action
Case Study 1
pelOton
From Riding Solo to Finding Community
The Challenge:
Limited Brand Perception Beyond A High-End Fitness Equipment Company.
- While Peloton enjoyed initial success with its premium bikes and subscription classes, the brand struggled to break out of the niche market of affluent fitness enthusiasts.
Pivotal Problem:
How Can We Make At-Home Fitness A Shared Event?
Impactful Solution:
Shifting Focus Towards The Emotional Connection And Community Experience.
- Peloton launched marketing campaigns emphasizing the emotional benefits of their product, such as increased motivation, stress relief, and a sense of belonging to a supportive community. They also showcased real customers’ stories and fostered connections between users through social media initiatives, virtual challenges, and instructor shout-outs for milestone rides and birthdays.
Results:
- Broadened Brand Appeal And Increased Customer Base: Peloton successfully reached a wider audience beyond the initial target market, evolving from a piece of equipment you own to a community you belong to.
- Increased Engagement And Loyalty: The focus on emotional connection fostered loyalty among existing customers, who felt a deeper connection to the brand and its community.
- Stronger Brand Image: By addressing the Pivotal Problem and highlighting the mental and emotional benefits, Peloton positioned itself as a brand that goes beyond just selling equipment by contributing to a healthy and fulfilling lifestyle for its users.
Case Study 2
The Lactation Network
From Breastfeeding Support to Essential Care
The Challenge:
Limited Brand Awareness And Difficulty Reaching Families In Need Of Lactation Support Due To Low Visibility And Challenges In Navigating The Insurance Landscape.
- While TLN was already offering valuable resources and connecting families with International Board-Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLCs), many families were unaware of their existence or struggled to understand their insurance coverage options for lactation support.
Pivotal Problem:
How Can We Make Lactation Care A Right, Not A Privilege?
Impactful Solution:
Turning A Service Into A Movement Fueled By Advocacy, Education, And Equity. To Do This, TLN Implemented Several Key Marketing Initiatives:
- Content Marketing: Developed informative blog posts, articles, and social media content stressing the importance of expert lactation care and addressing the myriad challenges families face from prenatal to weaning.
- Targeted Outreach: Partnered with hospitals, pediatricians, and other healthcare providers to raise awareness of TLN’s offerings and redefine lactation support as essential care.
- Insurance Navigation Assistance: Created an easy-to-use online tool and offered phone consultations to help families understand their coverage and connect them with in-network providers.
Results:
- Increased Brand Awareness And Website Traffic: Through educational content and targeted outreach, TLN significantly increased brand awareness and website traffic, reaching a wider audience of families seeking lactation support.
- Improved Access To Lactation Care: By simplifying insurance navigation and connecting families with qualified IBCLCs both in-person and virtually, TLN facilitated increased access to lactation support, particularly for families in areas with limited in-network providers.
- Enhanced Brand Reputation And Trust: By providing valuable resources and simplifying the process of finding lactation support, TLN established themselves as a trusted resource for families and healthcare professionals alike.
As evidenced in these case studies, brands win when they stop skimming the surface and start getting curious about their Pivotal Problem. Through judicious investigation and passionate problem-solving, you, too, can reveal and access meaningful, lasting impact—and change the trajectory of your business.
When you invest in pinpointing your Pivotal Problem, that old adage “work smarter not harder,” finally clicks. At long last, you can ditch the random acts of marketing—the disparate attempts to grow sales, increase awareness, and improve retention—and let newfound understanding clarify your actions. Laying this groundwork not only invites more ease and efficacy into your work, it also opens up limitless opportunities for your brand.
And you don’t need to solve your Pivotal Problem alone. As a digital marketing and branding agency rooted in profound, multidisciplinary understanding, we are your partners in this quest. And as your partners, we’re eager to listen generously, dive into the details, and elevate impactful solutions.
So, reach out!
Let’s unleash the power of your Pivotal Problem – together.
