Brands that lead today do three things exceptionally well. They create an emotional advantage that customers cannot get elsewhere. They establish a distinctive advantage that customers recognize as meaningfully different. They build a connective advantage that keeps the brand relevant over time. These are not communications outcomes. They are strategic decisions.
From all my years in research and consulting, I think I’ve learned a thing or two about marketing worth sharing. Enduring fundamentals, mostly yet often overlooked. So, this year, I want to share some snippets for your consideration. I hope they’re helpful. This week’s thought: Nothing matters unless it is central to a brand’s value proposition.
Imagine for a minute the experience consumers encounter when grocery shopping. As they enter a store or navigate online, in any given category, people will contend with similar product stories and formulations or ingredient claims alongside similar product packaging. Given the continued proliferation of brands, flavors, and forms, it can be a bit of a blur, perhaps bordering on confusing.
The recent criticism of the new identity for Jaguar has focused attention on when repositioning of a brand is necessary and effective. The positioning of a brand is defined by the psychological space the brand occupies in the minds of consumers: the unique identity of the brand in terms of what it is (and is not), what value it provides, and how it differs from competitors.
Recently, the research and marketing community quietly lost one of its brightest, most innovative thinkers and practitioners.
