Thursday, January 1, 2015

Implementing Effective Product Branding Strategies To Stay On Top Of Competition

By Stacey Burt


Today's business world is very competitive and only allows those who take steps to stay ahead of the competition to survive. Good product branding strategies enable a business to stay ahead of others in the competition. The term "product branding" usually describes what is produced or service the company wants to communicate and for whom this communication is intended. It also considers when this communication is supposed to get to the target of communication and how this is supposed to be done.

Consistency is important in every aspect of life, including the business life. When the communication structure of a product is consistent, it is easier for customers to identify. Employees of the business also become familiar with the objectives of the brand if they see consistent information over a long time frame. This makes them better understand their role in projecting the brand strategy.

An emotionally appealing message about the brand works well. This is because many people buy products they have "good feelings" about. An emotionally appealing message would give these customers a "good feeling" about the business and bring in many more customers.

Appreciating customers is also a good principle when strategizing product branding. Like everyone else, dedicated customers like to be recognized. It is customers that build a brand, and as such, they need to be recognized. This is because apart from subscribing to the product themselves, they market it by recommending it to other people. Sending little thank-you presents to these customers would help re-enforce the message about the brand. It can be small branded souvenirs from the company, or calls and messages to thank them for their dedication to the product.

It is also important to ensure the brand and the business model are closely tied together. The product or service provided should go an extra mile than what other competing products are offering. This is because building a brand goes beyond a name or logo and is mainly defined by the perception of customers. For a business selling electronic equipment, for instance, this extra service could be providing a toll-free help line that customers can call for technical support. In this case, customers can reach the business at the cost of the business.

Though branding strategies are well thought through before implementing, there is no guarantee that they would work as intended. It is therefore important for the business to always go back and measure the success levels attained. Measuring the marketing metrics before and after implementing the strategy would help to know how much gain is made and if there is a need for re-strategizing.

Flexibility is one principle to follow when looking at a branding strategy. Marketing trends change all the time, and such changes do not necessarily require re-strategizing. A small modification should be adequate. A marketing strategy should be versatile in a way that it can be interpreted in several forms to suit the various target groups.

It is also important to keep competing brands in sight while developing branding strategies. The business and its competitors are all after the same customers, so watching what competitors are doing differently can help the business strategize better. In spite of this, a business should not blindly copy whatever the competitors do.




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