How do you create marketing that "looks sharp"?

After my last post I was asked what I meant by "looking sharp".  I mean looking professional, of course, but more importantly, brand image is based on a good understanding of the market.

Effective market positioning -- and from that, brand image -- grows out of an understanding of three elements:

1)  The audience -- Who buys from you?  What are their needs and wants?  What moves them?

2)  Your competition -- Who sells what you sell - or an alternative?  What are they promising?  How are they saying it?

3)  Your company -- What BENEFITS do you offer that are meaningful to the audience and that differentiate you from the competition?

The most effective marketing I've seen blends these 3 elements. The least effective is marketing built around only what the company wants to say not what the prospective customer wants to hear.