Hello there π
How's it hanging?
This week, we're psyched to be kicking off a project with Beachbum, a coastal lifestyle brand based down in Dorset (literally 5 mins away from Jack).
And a big part of our work on that project is helping them really drive home the strong sense of community and identity that they've built their brand on so far.
And while we were getting prepped for that last week, it reminded us of a half-finished draft we had collecting dust. (It was originally part of the article on OceanSaver's copy, but it made the article waaaay too long.)
So we thought we'd dig it out and get it finished off π
π‘ This week's big idea: give your customers an identity they can buy into to turn your brand from a product into the next step in their journey towards the person they want to be.
We've talked about this a lot before, but a lot of brand-led copywriting comes back to the idea of Social Identity Theory.
Let's quickly recap what that means π
In basic terms it means that we all make decisions that reinforce how we see ourselves OR how we want other people to see us.
Think about the brands you buy, the places you choose to shop, the drinks you drink, the activities you do... theyβre all things we use to show others who we are (or who we want to be).
But itβs more than that too.
When the opposite happens β for example, letβs say Jack or Joe buys a Tesla β that creates a mismatch between what we believe about ourselves and how we're acting.
This is called cognitive dissonance, and when we feel this, we either adjust our beliefs or we change our behavior. (i.e. I either stop caring about people and planet or I decide to buy a different car.)
And the studies back it up, too.
Research by Reed et al in the International Journal of Research in Marketing shows that when we buy a product or brand that aligns with our desired identity β AKA, who we want ourselves to be β we feel validated and are far more likely to become loyal customers and make repeat purchases .
Going further, another study pooled 262 different findings from prior studies that asked the question "When a brand feels like it's for βpeople like me,β do attitudes and purchase intentions go up?" and examined whether identity-led messaging really makes a difference.
The result? They found that when brands let customers lean into an aspirational identity, both brand reputation and purchase intention go up.
In other words, brands that give customers an identity they can opt into are brands that win more customers, keep more customers and turn their customers into a community that helps them spread the word and get more customers.
Which leads us to something that brands like Huel do really well: creating (and naming) an identity that customers can buy into.
Let's dig into it π
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The clever trick that Huel's "Hueligan" copy plays to turn customers into community
We've talked before about the 2011 Stanford study that found that framing a behavior as a noun and identity ("are you a voter?") vs an action ("are you going to vote?") had a significant impact on people's intention to act.
Why? Because using a noun (βvoterβ) framed the action as part of who they are. And when an action aligns with who we are, weβre more likely to act on it.
However, it goes deeper than that, too.
In a review of all the studies on the topic, marketing academics found that copy that nods to an aspirational identity that customers can opt into performed far better than closed-off or exclusive identities.
For example, Nike's mission is: To bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete* in the world. *If you have a body, you are an athlete.
Look at everything after the asterisk. Without those 9 words, Nike becomes an exclusive and closed off club that feels intimidating to join.
However, with them, Nike becomes a brand for anybody who wants to be a better version of themselves.
That's the power of appealing to open, opt-in identities.
And that's what makes Huel's copy so clever.
From their social proof to the press release about Idris Elba investing in Huel all the way down to the unboxing experience and their online communities, you'll find the phrase Hueligan again and again.
This means that at every stage of the customer journey, they're coming across invitations to adopt the identity of a Hueligan: a busy, driven individual that cares about their health and living their best life.
Look at all the ways it shows up across the customer journey π
Now, you might dislike the name Hueligan (we're not the biggest fans of it either, tbh) but you can't deny that Huel have done a banging job of creating an opt-in identity that potential customers want to opt into and be part of.
(It helps that they're so active as a community on their forum, subreddit and on social media groups, too.)
And the key part of its success is the fact that a Hueligan isn't an identity based on just hitting the gym or eating healthy or any other demographic data they have on their customers.
It's an identity based on a shared mindset.
And that's far more powerful π
And as a result, Huel goes from being one of the many convenient, nutritionally-complete meals for busy people and it becomes a super-easy first step that people can take towards being more like the person they want to be.
Their Hueligan messaging lets customers tell themselves "If I buy Huel, I'm going to become a more efficient, healthier and better person".
And that message is super powerful.
How to find your brand's Hueligan equivalent: find opt-in identities that get more customers and build a community
We'll be honest, there's no fool-proof way to tackle this.
Like with a lot of creative exercises, it sometimes takes a moment of inspiration that feels like you've plucked it from thin air or like The Muses have whispered in your ear.
However, we're big believers in the idea that genius loves a system.
(In other words, we like to do all the leg work for our brains and then let it pretend it's a genius when it does the last 5% of the job.)
And for us, the easiest way to find those sticky, identity-led phrases isn't really to see it as a creative exercise at all. (At least not at the beginning.)
Instead, we let the customers do the work for us.
The first thing we do is head to Trustpilot (or wherever the brand has reviews) and start reading through all of the reviews. Then we'll look at (genuine) UGC. Then emails and DMs from customers. Then comments on Reddit and social media.
(We love Reddit because it's searchable and broken up into pre-existing communities that people self-identify with, which makes it a voice of customer gold mine.)
Then we start skimming for those nuggets of gold where customers tell you (in their own words) the identity that they're buying into.
Step 1: Mark any key phrases where customers talk about how your product makes them feel
Look for phrases that say things like βI feelβ¦β, βIβm the kind of person whoβ¦β, βNow I canβ¦β, βThis makes me feel likeβ¦β, βAs aβ¦β.
That's usually where the gold is.
At the same time though, anti-identity statements are equally as helpful. (If somebody says, I'm not the kind of person that.... then that's something you can use as well. It becomes a good guardrail for what you don't want to convey.)
Once you've got those phrases, drop them into a Google Doc.
Then it's time to look for the common themes.
Step 2: Find the red threads and common themes in all those reviews
Glance through the reviews again and try to find one or two words that sum up how your ideal customer feels for each of these categories:
- How they see their values: practical, ethical, minimalist, adventurous, principled, etc...
- How they see their competence levels: capable, pro, in-the-know, beginner, etc...
- How they feel: calm, confident, in control, energized, informed, etc...
- What their aspirations are: becoming healthier, more creative, more balanced, a better citizen of planet earth, etc...
- How they don't see themselves: not wasteful, not fussy, not performative, not entry-level, etc...
βοΈ Having that gives you so much information you can pack into your identity nouns and into other bits of copy as well.
Now, you've got a really good idea of how your customers see themselves now, how they want to see themselves and feel about themselves and how they don't want to be seen.
And that's invaluable for writing copy that makes customers feel seen.
Step 3: Turn it into a one-sentence description of your ideal audience
The next phase is to turn it into a bit of shorthand you can refer back to again and again.
We like to do something like this π
Our happiest buyers see themselves as [value + emotion + competence].
So if we were writing for Huel, we'd say something like:
Our happiest buyers see themselves as pragmatic people who want to feel in control of their weekdays and their health.
Once you have that locked in, you have a North Star for everything you write. (And quick sense check too. "Does this bit of copy make our customers feel like they'll be in control of their weekdays and health if they checkout?")
Step 4: Start thinking of catchy one-or-two-word phrases that sum up this mindset
This is where it gets a bit trickier, we're not going to lie.
Sometimes, like Huel, a pun or play on your brand name falls into your lap and you can back into creating meaning around that through social posts and customer participation.
Other times, you'll be lucky enough to be able to own a word that everyone already uses, like Nike and their use of athlete.
Other times, you'll notice a self-ascribed name for your audience cropping up in the reviews (think things like plant parent or boujee barista or weekend chef...)
But if that doesn't work, it's time to get creative.
We like to start with a few ol' reliable formulas, like this π
- Thing they care about + their ideal role: Puppy parent, batch cook boss, school-run hero, etc...
- Time or context + their ideal role: Weeknight Chef, Sunday Preppers, Early Risers, Golden Hour Surfers, Late Night Snackers...
- Simple noun: Fuelers, Makers, Minimalists, Pragmatists, etc...
- A collective group name: Coffee nerds, etc...
They won't all be winners, but you'll start to get a feel for where you're heading.
π Here's a pro tip for finding your "Hueligans"
Shoot for the kind of nouns that you could sell as merch and people would wear proudly or buy for their friends. An identity that people want to own so they can show people who they are. (Or show a friend "I see you".)
Then, make sure it passes these quick tests:
- Is it inclusive and accessible: does it feel like you can earn this title by just buying your product?
- Is it identity-led? Is it speaking to a mindset over a hobby/demographic/gender, etc...?
- Does it feel "ownable"? Would a customer brag βIβm a [Noun]β to their friends?
- Is it easy to pluralise? Can you say "calling all [nouns]?" without it getting clunky?
Check all those boxes and you're onto a winner.
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But don't panic if you don't land on a really strong winner.
What we love most about this exercise is that even if you don't end up using a noun in your copywriting at all, you still end up with a really, really clear idea of who your customers are, what they want and the transformation they feel when they buy your brand.
And that is the key to memorable, successful copywriting.
In fact, this approach to copywriting is behind everything from Taylor Swift's career (Swiftie is to T-Swizzle as Hueligan is to Huel), Lego's 90th anniversary campaign ("We Are All Builders"), Playstation's For The Players Campaign, Home Depot's "Doers Get More Done" campaigns...
And as much as we are loathe to praise BrewDog, this approach to their copy is a big reason why things like their Equity for Punks scheme were so successful. (Because its name follows the basic value + identity formula that lets customers can see the words, think "hey, that's me!" and immediately take action to opt into that identity.)
Which is great news for scaling brands.
Because while you might not be able to beat big brands on spend or reach, you can definitely beat them on creating a sense of belonging.
And when you make sure that your ideal customer sees themselves in your copy, they donβt just buy one time. They stick around, they bring friends, they buy again...
And that's how you take the first step from just another brand to The Brand for your ideal customer.
π Just a quick heads up: we're now booking in projects for October and into the new year. So if you're at the phase where you're hitting a wall or your copy feels like it's the low-hanging fruit that could level-up your brand or your voice doesn't quite feel like you anymore, we'd love to chat.β
Until next week, take it easy.
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Peace and love βοΈ
Jack and Joe
co-founders, co-brothers and co-pywriters
at Do Words Goodβ
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