Re: Branding and marketing

From: Rob Frankel <rob_at_robfrankel.com>
Date: Fri 29 Dec 2000 13:38:18 -0500

MARK MYERS <mmyers_at_loislaw.com> WROTE:
> Everyone should notice apparent disagreement between
> Kristin and Preston about the effects of branding. It
> is the old war that rages between real marketing people
> and operations/sales people who think they understand
> marketing fight over budget dollars.

Here's another reason why I maintain that branding is
the single most misunderstood marketing concept. This
is also why I've chosen to specialize in the field.

The truth -- at least as far as I've been able to tell
-- is that anyone who attempts to create, develop or
implement a branding discipline needs to tie together
the tangible, bottom line aspects with branded
programs and strategies. The fact that so many
"branding" charlatans can NOT explain how branding
influences the bottom line -- going from strategy to
tactic to implementation to result -- should be all
the proof you need to tell who knows what from what.

After all, you wouldn't go to a doctor who says, "I
don't know why we're removing your appendix, but it
seems like the right thing to do...."

One example I can offer that ties directly to this
situation is the specter of a recession, in which
those who haven't branded themselves

strongly, but relied on price strategy alone, are going
to get cut off at the knees. When the pressure of
lowering prices comes along, there will be no place
for those price-strategists to go. The well-branded,
however, will have cultivated a loyalty from their
users that extends beyond price and through the
recessionary period.

And that's just one tangible link between strategy and
reality. There are plenty more, but hey, I could write
a book about 'em!

Rob Frankel, http://www.robfrankel.com
Big Time Branding Guy and Author of "The Revenge of Brand X: How to
Build A Big Time Brand on the Web or Anywhere Else" & "The Frankel
Tapes -- Volume One" on sale now at http://www.revengeofbrandx.com





Received on Fri Dec 29 2000 - 12:38:18 CST