Six things I learned about branding from Steve Martin pt 3

Six things I learned about branding from Steve Martin – Part 3.

This is part 3 of my review of "STEVE! (Martin) — a documentary in two pieces" on Apple TV+ and what it taught me about branding. I hope many of you have watched it by now, but if not, I’d encourage you to do so.

So far, Steve Martin has shared (read more at www.mainstreetbrand.co):

Lesson 1: Start with your why – grow faster

Lesson 2: Stand out from others – to differentiate for customers

Lesson 3: Know your audience

To paraphrase Martin's one-time girlfriend, Stormie Sherk, "There are two kinds of people in this world: those who understand Steve Martin's humor and those who don't." But even if his style isn't for you, there may be a reason — and that reason may be that you are not who he is targeting.

The movie shares anecdotes about performing in Las Vegas at the Hilton and the Playboy Club after early success in smaller venues. The takeaway is clear: the people attending these venues just were not the right audience for the new kind of comedy that Martin was doing.

Instead, Martin built a robust and authentic relationship with younger comedy fans at smaller venues. He would often continue the party in the street afterward or take the group to get food. This authentic connection is a crucial brand lesson: you must be genuine and focus on who you will target.  You can’t authentically be everything to everyone.

As you define your brand, consider, evaluate, and learn as much as possible about your audience. Martin kept notes about each show to understand what got laughs and what didn’t work. The most successful brands understand their customers the best, whether through interviews, customer journey mapping, syndicated data, or other insights.

Reach out if you’d like help understanding YOUR customers better – but for now, how do you keep track of your customers? Is there one type of insight you rely on most to understand who your people are?