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Successful brands speak for themselves. This takes a lot of work from the marketing department, but it is possible. An animated brand can stand by itself; an inert one needs the constant weight of the company behind it and remains more a sub-brand than a brand in its own right. I was asked the other…
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Yesterday, I wrote about the importance of branding. Unfortunately, we have yet to define exactly what I mean by “branding.” Branding is a process of developing the corporation’s or product’s character and image in the market. This is a simple definition, but a brand itself is a very complex machine. There are three key aspects…
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Many people have asked me why branding is important. In a previous post, I said branding was a means of simplifying communication. Coca-cola is distinguished from other colas by its unique taste. Rather than describing for a waiter what kind of cola you want with your meal, you ask for a Coke. This is a…
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Who is talking about you? Are your products reviewed on people’s blogs? Have there been any newspaper articles about your newest ad campaign? Do you overhear casual conversation about your brand in the coffee shop? There is someone out there telling your story that is not on your payroll. It’s time you figure out who…
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Every once in a while a company needs to take a close, critical look at itself. Brand managers invest countless hours in developing an honest image to represent their product or company. Stamping the brand all over company correspondence and product launches at this stage, however, is an indicator of mediocrity. A good manager will…
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The next step to building a powerful brand is self-evaluation. We have determined the customers, but who is the company? Every company has an internal culture, the way it conducts business and views itself. Understanding who you are is the first step in communicating with others. Branding is a way of simplifying communication. Rather than…
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Having segmented the market with the aid of psychographics, we have a truly differentiated product offering. But what if this is not enough? If a product stays in the market long enough, imitators are sure to follow. Here are three ways to continue differentiating your product from the competition: Leverage your company’s background – Is…
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Everyone in marketing talks about segmentation, I just wanted to join the club. However, I think of segmentation very differently than most people. You create segments in the market by identifying demographics (age, sex, race) and geographic norms (population density) and how they relate to one another. This gives you a good idea about how…
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It is difficult to envision a “perfect” customer. Are they the one who spends more than 10% of their annual income on your products? The person who frequents your store without hearing a single word of advertising? Is it the person who buys little but visits every day? The perfect customer could be any or…
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Everything has a purpose. Cars were invented to replace horses as a more convenient and, arguably, cheaper means of transportation. Sports drinks are efficient ways to hydrate athletes than water alone. This blog exists to further my establishment within the marketing community. Everything has a purpose, a reason for being – this extends to companies.…