Anti-Establishment Branding
I'm finding that more and more of my clients want to position
themselves as the 'anti-industry' company within their respective
fields. For example, there is a local collision repair company that
has successfully built a brand as the 'anti-insurance' company -
distancing itself from competitors because it 'represented the
interests of the common man' instead of working deals with insurance
companies, the 'villains' interested only in maximizing profits. Most
recently, I think of Unix ads subtly positioned as the anti-Microsoft
machine and Apple as the quirky contrast to PC. While the latter two
aren't great examples since it's nearly an either/or scenario, there
are many companies that have found success by not simply promoting
features and benefits to differentiate themselves in a competitive
marketplace (which I realize isn't what should be used as an
identifier of brand, but commonly is) - instead they bill themselves
as the stark opposite of how their particular industry is widely
perceived.
How effective is this approach? How risky? Can anyone cite more
examples or provide information to help me respond to this apparent
trend? Has anyone else encountered this or should I consider it a
fluke?
Any insight would be greatly appreciated.
Julie Law
Market Fundamentals
http://www.marketfundamentals.net/
marketing and PR basics for your business
Received on Fri Jan 16 2004 - 09:25:13 CST
