Re: Branding and marketing

From: John Gaskill <gm_at_info-central-usa.com>
Date: Fri 29 Dec 2000 13:31:30 -0500

MARK MYERS <mmyers_at_loislaw.com> WROTE:
> No amount of direct marketing <edit> will create long
> term sales for any company without a favorable "brand
> experience."

Nothing creates a more "favorable brand experience" for
a consumer than purchasing the product or service and
finding out it does what was expected (or perhaps
more).

Advertising that sells, as opposed to advertising that
brands, offers a direct solution to a consumer need.

Advertising that brands states, "Our product is a
better product, or makes you a better person for using
it." Branding does not associate a product directly
with need, but more so with wants or hopes.

It is easier to advertise a solution providing direct
tangible benefits and get the message to register in
prospects than to advertise a "brand image" for an
untested product.

> Branding is a form of what is known in the political
> world as the "expectations game." What do the customers
> (voters) want? how do they want it? what do they really
> expect? The key to building a brand is to affiliate
> your organization with tangible and intangible things
> the customers want, give those things the way the
> customers want, and exceed their expectations for those
> things.

Many of the world's more successful advertisers spend
minimal resources advertising their company's
intangibles. They advertise the products.

Lexus advertised performance and luxury at a great
price when it was introduced in the United States.

About the same time, Infiniti advertised Zennish brand
images.

Which one won the battle of Japanese luxury sedans?

Lexus' excellent brand image came about as a result of
having large numbers of extremely proud and satisfied
owners driving their product and trading in their
Mercedes to do so. It did not result from their
advertising. Their advertising supports a strong brand
image. If their product had been junk, the brand would
no longer exist.

> Marketing is delivering the particular brand to the
> right targeted audience at the right time in the right
> medium. This is of course a concise view of marketing
> not entirely conclusive. Sales' job is to close the
> deal.

Marketing also includes advance and ongoing research to
make sure the product/service finds a real market, not
one that is only imagined in the minds of upper
management or predicted as being "out there" by
misguided advertising folk.

Regards all and Happy New Year,

John Gaskill
gm_at_info-central-usa.com





Received on Fri Dec 29 2000 - 12:31:30 CST