Once in a while a consultant gets lucky and encounters a trend before it takes hold across their marketplace. Over the past few months I think I have been running up against just such a trend and it worries me.
I am increasingly convinced that the biggest challenge brand managers will face over the next decade will be protecting the brand of brand.
Let me share three recent experiences with you and then I will explain exactly what I mean.
I am increasingly convinced that the biggest challenge brand managers will face over the next decade will be protecting the brand of brand.
Let me share three recent experiences with you and then I will explain exactly what I mean.
Q: How important is the name of a brand?
Most great brands have good names. Their names verbally connect to their positioning strategies.
Cottonelle. It's not cotton, but it's cottony and soft.
Dial. Round-the-clock protection.
Taster's Choice. Tastes and smells like the ground roast coffee.
Q: How important is the name of a brand?
Most great brands have good names. Their names verbally connect to their positioning strategies.
Cottonelle. It's not cotton, but it's cottony and soft.
Dial. Round-the-clock protection.
Taster's Choice. Tastes and smells like the ground roast coffee.
Over the past five years I have observed some outrageously successful brand executions. But for the most part, I have watched large organisations wasting millions of euros/dollars on attempts to position their brands in ways that can never succeed. In this post, I will share one of the great brand positioning lessons I have learned; simplicity - or rather, the lack thereof.
'And which of these segments are you targeting?' I enquire.
At this point the marketing manager looks down at the segments, looks back up at me, looks back at the segments and finally says: 'Well, er, all of them.'
When I talk to marketing managers, their market segmentation study is usually one of the greatest sources of professional satisfaction. But my next question usually brings the conversation to a standstill.
'And which of these segments are you targeting?' I enquire.
At this point the marketing manager looks down at the segments, looks back up at me, looks back at the segments and finally says: 'Well, er, all of them.'
