I often forget that marketing and in particular Brand marketing was one of those first loves of mine. Although I recognize all the other aspects of marketing, I am of the school of thought that at the end of the day, it comes down to brand. Brand is the DNA, it’s the place where it all begins.
It’s sad that often times when marketing work starts, brand is pushed to the end or somewhere in the middle. My take is that before any other marketing work starts, before all that external analysis, the DNA should be coded. The story should be decided, the brand purpose should be defined, and the brand world imagined.
Again, let’s go back to the basics. What is a brand? A brand is nothing but a distinct promise of value. That brand lives both mentally and physically. I love to add, that there’s a layer we forget, the unconscious layer of the brand, the brand as psyche. So brand comes to life through both mental and physical availability. That when a consumer is making that purchase decision, this brand is top of mind, there’s recall, better, instant recall.
So why then have people abandoned brand marketing? Why is everyone in a rush with other aspects of marketing? Well, brand takes time. But brand building is also proof that you actually care, that your promises are alive. That you do not simply exist for the exchange but for something more, that there’s commitment.
Whenever brands offer discounts, I often say, they are suffering from brand debts. That’s brand malnutrition, there’s work that was avoided on the brand, and now one has to pay with endless promotions, endless shouts on the billboards. Go back to where it all starts, go back to building great brands. Brand work is more necessary than ever.
And more random thoughts about marketing:
- Don’t market products or services, Market a lifestyle, dreams, identities, experiences
As the famous saying of Antoine de Saint goes; “if yoy want to build a ship, don’t drum up the men to gather wood, divide the work, and give orders. Instead, teach them to yearn for the vast and endless sea.” - Don’t sell sunglasses, sell a beach lifestyle, sell the beauty of summer, the yonder of sunbathing. Don’t sell travel bags, sell the excitement of adventure, the wonders of travel. Don’t sell products, sell stories.
- Market to people’s emotions, not their logic
We do things for emotional reasons and justify them with logical reasons. People are either running away from pain or running towards pleasure. Your product or service either reduces their pain or increases their pleasure. - Consumer insight before anything. Find a market and create products for it. It is easier than creating a product and trying to find a market for it. Don’t just sell travel bags. Instead sell bags for female millenials who love to travel and adventure.
- Stories trump everything
We evolved as story-telling creatures. What’s the story behind your product or service? How can you reinforce those stories? Don’t sell the product features, sell stories about the product. Apple doesn’t tell you about the processor speeds, it tells you to think different. - Brand before anything else
Brand is about perceptions. Perceptions are stories that have been reinforced in a consumer’s mind over time across different touch points with the product or service. Nike doesn’t make the best shoes, we have the perception that it does. Brands live inside a consumer’s mind. A brand is not what you tell consumers about your product; a brand is what your consumers tell each other about your product. - Positioning is everything.
Always be first in a category. If you can’t be first in a category, create your own. Red Bull was the first energy drink. It didn’t try to be a soda or an alcoholic drink. Gatorade came realized it couldn’t be first so it created a category. Gatorade is the first large size energy drink. Positioning is who you are to the consumer, why you exist in their minds. 7up was the first Uncola drink in the USA. Then it chose to change its position and go head on with the colas. That my friend was the end of 7up. 7up didn’t have the credibility to play in that space. Baileys always thought it was about empowering women. Then it took a step back and realized, wait a minute; “we have some irish cream.” Cream gave Baileys the credibility to play in the pleasure space. So what’s Baileys purpose? Your co-conspirator in the pursuit of pleasure.