Remember that pre-meeting scramble? Craving a lifeline between briefings and client calls? Me too. Back in my Goldman Sachs consulting days, the Toronto-NYC grind was fueled by two things: ambition and a reliable stash of Snickers.

Those weren't just candy bars, folks. They were a marketing idea in execution.

Snickers' "You're Not You When You're Hungry" campaign wasn't just catchy, it was a cultural phenomenon. Remember the hangry meltdowns of celebrities like Elton John and Robin Williams? Pure genius. And the results? Sales skyrocketed by a whopping $376 million in just two years. Talk about a return on investment.

Snickers has a long history of using the "Jobs to be Done" approach.

Back in the 90s Olympics, that husky voice crooning "There's a hunger inside you... Snickers satisfies" wasn't just a jingle. It was an emotional trigger, a messaging based on a positioning anchor that cemented Snickers as the go-to solution for hanger pangs.

Snickers uses their highly recognizable brand but with a twist — putting the job being done right on the wrapper.

Jobs to be done positioning anchor

Consider a few jobs you might find you need to do below and fill in the blank with the first brand you’d hire to do them:

• You need to blow your nose: ______

• You need a serious energy boost: ______

Very likely, Kleenex and Red Bull.

By aligning a JTBD with a brand, the customer relies on mental shortcuts.

Positioning Anchors based on strongest to weakest brand association

1. Jobs to be Done (Emotional Dimension): This taps into core desires and connects with your audience on a deeper level. Think about how Snickers uses humor to address hanger. It's a strong emotional shortcut.

2. Comparison Anchor: This can be effective, but only if you compare yourself to a well-established, relevant brand. Saying you're "2 times better than Acme Corp" might not mean much unless people know and trust Acme.

   1. "We are the Uber for [Your Niche]": This can be a catchy way to explain your service, but it relies on the audience already knowing and liking Uber.

3. Jobs to be Done (Functional Dimension): This focuses on the practical uses of your product.

I don’t think I have to explain why an emotional dimension type positioning ranks first here when you look for strong brand associations.

The comparison anchor is strong only if you anchor against a strong brand name.

2 and 3 above are interchangeable depending on how strong your brand is already. For example, if you are Kleenex, where you are already a strong brand you can use a JTBD that is of a functional dimension.

Startups: Forget Snickers, Focus on Functional Anchors First

Let's face it, building brand awareness like Snickers takes time and resources. Most startups in the 0-5 million dollar range are still laying the groundwork. For them, clear functional anchors are key.

Think of it like this: emotional connections are lighthouses, guiding customers. But a strong ship (your product) is needed to navigate first. So, prioritize messaging that clearly communicates what your product or service does and how it solves a problem.

Functional Anchors First

Here's the ranking of positioning anchors for customer acquisition, tailored for startups:

1. Jobs to be Done (Functional Dimension): Aligning to a JTBD with a functional dimension aligns with a problem that the audience needs to solve. Understanding the audience mindset here ensures that your messaging is more prospect-oriented.

2. Comparison Anchor (Use Strategically): Comparing yourself to a known brand can work, but only if that brand is relevant.

3. Jobs to be Done (Emotional Dimension)

By understanding this hierarchy, you can craft messaging that resonates with your target audience, leading to stronger customer acquisition.

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Your startup’s homepage is prime real estate.

It’s the first impression you make on potential customers, and you only have a few seconds to grab their attention and convince them to stay and try your product. That’s why your homepage hero messaging – the big headline, image, or video at the top of the page – is so critical.

It should immediately tell visitors what you do and why they should care.

But how do you craft messaging that resonates with different audience segments, especially as you are trying to find product market fit?

Understanding your audience's mindset

The image outlines three different audience mindsets, each requiring a different approach to messaging:

• Problem-Aware Time-sensitive Audience: This audience knows they have a problem and are actively looking for a solution. Your messaging should focus on how your product solves their pain points. Use strong verbs and highlight the key benefits that differentiate you from competitors.

• Solution-Aware High-inertia Audience: This audience is aware of solutions like yours, but they may be using a competitor’s product or they may not be convinced that they need a solution at all. Your messaging should focus on why your solution is better. Emphasize unique features and benefits, and quantify the value proposition with numbers or social proof.

• Unaware Skeptical Audience: This audience may not even realize they have a problem that your product can solve. Your messaging needs to educate them about the problem and how your product can improve their lives. Use clear and concise language to explain the problem and pique their interest.

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Tailoring Your Homepage Messaging

The image provides a framework to tailor your homepage hero messaging to each audience mindset:

• Problem-Aware Time-sensitive Audience:

  • Market situation: Crowded. Your competitors are trying to solve this problem because there is money to be made.

  • Emphasize: "We solve this problem well with a difference."

  • Example: "Tax filing is due in 16 days. Tired of manually tracking your expenses? Our budgeting app does the tax filing for you."

• Solution-Aware High-inertia Audience:

  • Market situation: High inertia. Prospects are not willing to change.

  • Emphasize: "It's worth solving because of this 10x benefit."

  • Example: "Do you travel a lot but don’t budget well? We save 23% on international transactions."

• Unaware Skeptical Audience::

  • Market situation: Skeptical because there is a night and day difference between what your prospects do now and what you have to offer.

  • Emphasize: "Let me show you how this customer solved a similar problem."

  • Example: "Never realized you needed an automatic budgeting app? See how our customer went from financial stress to financial freedom."

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By understanding your audience’s mindset, you can create homepage messaging that speaks directly to your audience and helps your startup achieve faster product market fit.