The chart shown above is an evolution of one that I helped create at Kantar. It is my attempt to summarize as clearly and simply as possible the process by which people choose between brands based on their intuitive and deliberative thinking. I would love to hear your thoughts about it, good, bad, or indifferent. But first, let me lay out my thinking behind the chart.
“Soft power.” It is a weird combination of ideas, right? How can a power be soft? And yet, soft power can be credited with the demolition of the Berlin Wall, the Arab Spring, and the allure that the United States still holds for many people around the world. For a business, soft power rests in its brand. That illusive, intangible something that makes people want to buy a product or service more than the alternatives.
Growing share, particularly in an established product category, is challenging at the best of times, but it is fundamental to longer-term success. A company needs to at least maintain it is market share or it will not benefit from category and country growth. And growing slower than other brands cedes the advantage of scale, even if your sales are increasing. So while it might seem unrewarding at times, trying to grow share is worth the...
Before I go any further, I must make an important distinction. This article concerns driving a brand’s growth within an existing category. As such, it is likely to return less growth than launching a brand into a country with a fast-growing economy or extending an existing brand into a completely new category. However, most marketers still need to fight for market share and to do so successfully should bear these ten actions in mind.
For over a decade now, UPS delivery trucks in the USA have avoided making left turns. Analysis of tracking system data found that eliminating left turns – which often left the vehicle idling at an intersection for significant periods of time – would save time and gasoline. This is exactly the sort of insight that allows a company to change things for the better, but it can be really tough to find no matter how much...
