PRESS PLAY>> TO VIEW KEN’S VIDEO INTRO TO THIS MONTH’S BLOG
A visit to the DaVinci Machines exhibit last month made a real impression on me about the genius of this 15th Century artist and 
designer. While there were only a limited number of his designs on display (his notes reflected several thousand ideas that were developed), I was convinced that every one was developed for a particular reason—usually military weapons—that provided a solution to a particular problem or opportunity. Whether it was the ball bearing or a device that helped build a pyramid before hydraulics, the value of these concepts increased as the need for their benefits became more obvious in providing a competitive advantage over the users adversary.
The same holds true as marketers develop new or improved products to gain market share versus their competition. So many new products or stores are introduced on to the scene for no other reason than to compete with a brand that’s already there. If they are successful, let’s get a piece of the action. Unfortunately, with so many choices vying for the same dollar from the customer, we end up with just another brand. If you walk through a shopping center (an activity that fewer and fewer of us get involved with these days), you can’t help wonder why this or that store with a name on the sign that you’ve never heard of ever managed to get into the marketplace. How many more fast food burger places do we really need offering basically the same ground beef on a bun? As I watched the $4 million Super Bowl spots, I kept asking what is the reason that I should buy this product. Now, I know that established brands like Budweiser and Coke don’t have to continually explain what they are. However, they do have to reinforce the brand as part of everyone’s lifestyle and create a brand preference. I took note of the Chobani Greek Yogurt spots on the Olympics recently and I kept asking what does “How Matters.” mean and why should I opt for their brand or for Greek Yogurt in the first place? Nice spots for the Olympics spirit, but why Greek Yogurt. I like Activia anyway.
The point is that the first essential characteristic of a successful brand is to have a reason for being. The initial work is to determine why someone would try your product—or keep using it—and then reinforce this reason with an effective, creative message that cuts through the clutter and truly differentiates your brand from the others.
It occurs to me the high-priced spots on the major media events that the primary reason for being is to run creative commercials with very little emphasis on providing a reason why or a really competitive message that differentiates. It’s not unlike most shopping malls these days which don’t provide much reason to shop there other than “under one roof”. Thus, so many are being torn down or sit half empty these days. Yet, the town centers and shopping villages are thriving because they provide a more convenient, pleasant shopping experience—and a return to the past when downtown shopping was neighborhood gathering spot with personality and with ambience that beats most big mega malls or big box retailers.
So, if your brand is beginning to lose share of mind and share of wallet, it’s time to go back and revisit what prompted your product or service in the first place. Are the reasons still relevant? Do they still differentiate you from the competition? Do they provide value beyond a sale price? Do they provide a reason for a personal relationship with the customer that really is the essence of a brand? If not, it’s time to revisit and find a reason for being.
IN MEMORIAM: I lost a good friend this week. Phil Kabachnick was professional retailer who brought innovation and moxy to his store in Middletown, Connecticut, for years. He understood customers and how to market to them by understanding the trends and what would keep them from going to the Big Apple to do their fashion shopping. After he closed the business and and was the behind-the-scenes operator of his wife, Terri’s, consulting business, we shared some office space here in Tampa Bay. We also shared many discussions on retail, sports, and business building ideas over many Chinese lunches. He fought a good battle against cancer and kept his sense of humor till the end. I’ll miss him.
Recent Comments