How Should a Marketing Firm Brand Itself for Plumbers?

James Dickerson says a marketing firm selling to plumbers should brand around the customer's own problem, for example a name like Leak Proof: the firm fixes the leaks in the marketing, and the customer handles the plumbing. Copying Apple or Stripe is a mistake for Main Street or for HVAC companies in the area, because the customer might not want a brand like that and might not connect with it.

Branding matters when the goal is to be the only choice in a market. The same offer can live on a website and in ads. A retargeting approach on Meta, or ads inside a set radius, can use a casual on-camera style that sends people to a landing page written in the voice of the customer, the language the seller is learning. A free leak check is one thing to give away so the outreach adds value.

People often look at Stripe or Apple, decide that is what a good brand looks like, and then build that look for Main Street. Speaking as a creative director, he expects everyone to say those two look good. A good brand creates a feeling the customer connects with, and the fit with that market is what decides it.