Branding As Strategy

Few local business owners have the time and resources available to dedicate to their branding they way that big corporates do...at least up to they same level. But there are plenty of things that larger corporations do well that small-business owners should consider implementing as they strive for long-term survival:

1. Establishing strong brand positioning

Defining a market position is the most critical step in developing a brand. You must know who you are before you can get to where you want to be. Brand positioning characterizes the way a company wants its target audience to think about its brand. It is the core message you want to deliver in every medium, and it creates clarity, consistency and continuity in the way the organization speaks to the market. Essential to an effective positioning statement is the concept of narrowing rather than broadening a company’s focus. The secret to a good brand-positioning strategy is a clear message that talks about your strengths and explains to customers why your product is the best in your category or industry. Reformation Productions offers what we call a Identification Session as one of the first steps in the Straight Line Marketing process. This process is so important and so impactful that we offer it at a discounted rate to new clients. As we go through this long, intense session, 90% of our new clients gain a full understanding as to what Straight Line Marketing is all about and how it can work to grow their business.

2. Using market research to create a strategic plan

This is what we call the LISTEN stage. When most of us think of market research, we think of statistics, focus groups and expensive surveys. In most cases, that is overkill. Market research needs to answer only a few key questions — the simpler, the better. Big businesses take feedback and apply it to a strategic plan. They evaluate sales and segment performance, predict sales growth, compile market trends and consumer insights, identify key drivers from the previous year’s successes and failures, set firm marketing objectives for the coming year, estimate costs and craft tactical programs and marketing initiatives to achieve those objectives. Good planning allows companies to continuously measure, refine and optimize their marketing mix. You should demand that all programs have financial benefits and amplify sales. Spend wisely, and know your cost per generated lead.

3. Everything you do communicates, so be consistent across all materials and every aspect of the brand

The perception of your company and brand is defined by the interactions people have with your company and your communications. Your message must be consistent and compelling at all points of contact with customers. Take a look at any coupon, print ad, television commercial or Web site for IBM Corp. Every message is marked by a vivid blue color, graphic elements influenced by the geometric shape of the logo, a single-minded tagline, uniform font type in headlines and the same tone across all printed material. We cannot express how important consistency in communications is to your success. This is part of the THINK stage in Straight Line Marketing. It's evaluating everything from the two previous stages and turning it into a campaign concept that incorporates the right brand messaging.

4. Being unique is crucial, even if you’re coming in second

Companies that grab market share first often grab the glory, but they aren’t always the last one standing. At one time, The Procter & Gamble Co. was second to Union Carbide Corp. in marketing disposable diapers. Dell Inc. unseated Compaq Computer Corp. by marketing to the upcoming college generation. The secret to second-mover advantage: You can’t propose just a me-too idea; you need a unique angle to spin. Me-too businesses rarely survive. They usually end up in price wars because they don’t have anything unique that establishes value in the minds of their prospects. They are left with only one competitive weapon: price. Unless you have a significant cost advantage over your competitors, you will lose. We'll help you determine what your edge will be as part of the IDENTIFY stage.

5. Speak to the consumer and create value

Does your marketing material directly address the value of doing business with your company? Can it answer any consumer’s basic question, “What’s in it for me?” Some companies forget communication is about getting consumers to see brand benefits for themselves. To get that across, a brand must speak from the consumer’s point of view, not the marketing department’s. Remove all those meaningless benefits from your Web site and other communications materials. Replace them with the added value customers are after. Determining which marketing tools you should be using is part of the SPEAK stage. The tools you select, the programs you develop, everything from your website down to your listing in the yellow pages or your ad in the Neighborhood News should be crafted on purpose and with meaning.

Let Reformation Productions help your business function with the expertise and experience of the big corporations. Call our new business team at 404.862.8814 or visit us online at www.ReformationProductions.com today.