I’m writing this month’s article from Prague, Czech Republic, shortly after returning from a walking tour of this vibrant city on a beautiful Sunday afternoon. It’s a wonderful day and the citizens (and tourists like us) enjoyed all that the city has to offer. With so much history and beauty, it’s hard to believe the Czech Republic is less than 20 years old as a country. After all the years of Communist oppression and turmoil, the country has emerged with it’s own personality and attitude that is not unlike many of the new brands that have established themselves in the marketplace in the past few years.
We tend to think that building a brand relationship is a long-term process that takes years of marketing and research to reach the top of the consumers’ preferences. Yet, it really is simply a matter of doing the right things first to determine where your brand’s niche is and how you can differentiate yourself from the competition in order to generate sales. Granted there are those “Hall of Fame” brands like Coca Cola, McDonalds, IBM, etc. that continually renew themselves and maintain their preference with the customer. However, there are plenty of new brands on the block like Zappos, Android, Whole Foods, Smart Car, LG, and Under Armor that have created powerful brands by following the steps necessary to define their brands before they ever started marketing them.
It all starts with having a Vision for your brand and determining what is going to differentiate you from the others in the same market. Not simply providing a new name or a new version of an existing brand, but creating one that meets a customer need and providing the value that will warrant their trial—quickly.
Next, you have to do the research necessary to quantify where your potential will be and who the competition is. A SWOT analysis is helpful, but it’s important to evaluate the market potential, the customer attitudes and perceptions, and the competitive perceptions before you move forward.
Taking these first couple steps with a sense of urgency can establish a brand quickly or (as in the case of Prague and it’s homeland) re-inventing a brand by building on its strengths and addressing its weakness before moving forward. An effective marketing and communications plan is a lot easier to develop once you take the time to make sure your brand is relevant and interesting.
COMING SOON: BRAIN BRANDING. THE MANUAL.
An easy to follow guide to building a brand that resonates with your customers.
Recent Comments