An elevated brand is more than just a logo or a tagline. Gone are the days where you could slap on a logo to a business card, social media, or local magazine and newspaper ad for your business expecting it to do the heavy lifting.
Take “Mr. Oh”, for example, a small town coffee shop owner who found himself stuck in a cycle of short-term bandaid marketing solutions that were holding both his business back and his ability to lead and grow.
Thankfully, he found a way to get unstuck – a way to elevate his brand, regain confidence, and watch his business grow in ways he’d only imagined while finally understanding the long-term value of doing things the right way from the get-go. Here’s how.
For over 10 years, Mr. Oh poured his energy (and heart) into a coffee shop business he self-built the American way – with sweat, tears and a ton of grit. His shop became a cornerstone of the community and his customers loved his coffee shop.
As time went on, though, newer, shinier shops appeared, each promising something better, brighter, and more exciting.
Mr. Oh took pride in his coffee but marketing was always an afterthought. His branding was slapped together in 30-minutes when he first started his business and had become outdated. He was starting to notice he had fallen behind in the digital landscape.
So he tried everything to keep up.
He posted sporadically on social media, asking younger employees to chase after the latest trends, and even invested in a flashy new logo hoping something would stick.
But it was like throwing darts in the dark – nothing seemed to move the needle and his investments always felt stale just months later. It also left lifelong customers confused.
Plus, his lack of having an internal team with any true “know-how” or strategy left his confidence feeling shaky in delegating this external task to anyone else. Inevitably, after a few weeks, their marketing efforts would fall by the wayside all over again, making each subsequent effort feel that much heavier of a lift.
Feeling “stuck” in marketing is a problem that affects all businesses at some point or another – whether you’re at 5-figures or 7-figures, it’s all the same. The stakes (and investment) just become higher the more successful you are.
Like Mr. Oh, many entrepreneurs and small business owners find themselves stuck for multiple reasons:
Directionless Marketing
Mr. Oh and his teams posted sporadically — when a customer tagged his business on social media, when there was a sale to promote, or whenever some “big” opportunity came their way.
But, instead of moving his business in a direction that built trust or attracted new customers, it was inconsistent, lacked cohesion, and didn’t speak to the audience in a meaningful or sustained way. Zooming out and thinking about the big picture goals was never a part of the equation. Instead, they had fallen into a pattern of putting out fires and focusing on nearsighted issues and metrics.
Chasing Trends That Don’t Stick
Mr. Oh was running his coffee shop like he brewed his coffee…fast and bold, jumping from trend to trend without stopping to check if it was really working.
One week, his team was scrambling to make quirky TikToks of latte art. The next, they were staging photo shoots of pastries for Instagram. The effort was there, but the results weren’t.
His team was exhausted, and the customers he wanted to attract – the locals and regulars who valued a quality cup of coffee and a welcoming space – weren’t engaging.
Mr. Oh realized that chasing trends wasn’t just wasting his team’s time; it was diluting his message. Vanity metrics like views or likes didn’t translate to new customers or loyal regulars.
Lack of Cohesion and Strategy
Although Mr. Oh knew social marketing was important, different team members were creating content without a unified brand voice. One person would write a post casually, while another would take a more formal approach, leading to confusion among their audience.
On top of that, their marketing efforts were reactive—often creating random collateral using Canva templates they liked, rather than aligning with a consistent brand strategy. This approach lacked bigger vision, and instead of building a solid, recognizable brand, it scattered their focus and impact.
At Oh Yes Communications, we believe an elevated brand is intentional, strategic, and follows a tried-and-true process with today’s marketing landscape front of mind.This process not only reflects your values but also engages your audience in a meaningful way. We help small business owners, like Mr. Oh, create a powerful, consistent brand that builds trust and fosters lasting connections. The newfound excitement, clarity, and confidence in their marketing communication is an added bonus.
Here’s how we do it:
Elevating your brand doesn’t look like going viral, gaining overnight success or doing everything your business bestie is telling you to do. The truth of the matter is that every business is different, and while best practices are best practices for a reason, the HOW is unique to each business and their goals.
For us, helping clients “elevate” means meeting them where they are at in business and helping them refine and improve their brand at a pace that is sustainable to them, and allows them to grow a profitable brand they can be proud of.
Here’s what that can look like:
He needed to do 2 things:
Our approach?
6-week campaign sprints, where we evaluate, regroup, and relaunch. Marketing shouldn’t be an emergency or a surprise. We plan ahead, provide time for feedback, and handle the creation and execution of everything.
Mr. Oh’s story is proof that with the right team, your brand can go from feeling stuck to standing out. With consistent, aligned messaging, strategy and support, he went from sporadic, reactionary marketing to a clear, cohesive presence that resonated with his audience.
At Oh Yes Communications, we treat your priorities as our priorities. Whether it’s a full messaging and branding project, a retainer relationship, or short-term consulting, you’re our number one priority from day one. We’re here to listen, collaborate, and take you to the next level.
Let’s elevate your brand together – Book a Discovery Call today to get started!Want to experience the first two sessions of our messaging workshop with our “Elevate Your Brand” Resource? Click here to get it straight to your inbox!
