Over
years I've frequently been asked what secret formula is for successful branding. What people are really asking me is how to make their brand a global leader, like Coca-Cola. Well, sorry guys. There's no magic hidden in process of building a brand. What successful brand-building is all about is following three simple principles. These form crucial guidelines that help ensure you build a successful brand.
Branding is all about focus. When I say focus, I mean a lot of things. But most important points are: ·your focus on a specific audience; ·which is reflected in your focus on a specific values; ·which is reflected by your clear focus on a specific tone-of-voice. I know it sounds banal, but defining your unique target group is fundamental. Let me give you a couple of examples.
McDonald's has always been a family restaurant, and never a burger bar. What's difference? None. But family focus is a positioning strategy that's reflected in everything corporation does. McDonald's knows that by targeting families it hits one of most attractive, loyal consumer groups available: they get into parents' wallets via kids' minds. Knowing strength of this strategy, it's no wonder that McDonald's has become what it is. And, by way, audience focus doesn't mean that McDonald's misses out on attracting teenagers, tweens or grown-up singles to their restaurants. Obviously, McDonald's restaurants are full of such consumer groups. But, by attracting a target audience, McDonald's hasn't scared off other consumer groups away. Just imagine McDonald's targeting teenagers. Do you think any families would show up?
A famous vodka brand decided to take targeting to extreme by focusing on alternative audiences, like gay community in USA. By hitting this community in trendy bars in Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York, product became fashionable and, so, a wider and wider audience was attracted to it. By now vodka in question is one of world's best-known brands, yet it's been raised in a very alternative background.
Having considered importance of your brand's audience focus, let's look at its message. What is it your brand wants to say? What tracks should it leave in consumer's mind after exposure? What are its values? If I were to ask you what impressions spring to mind when I mention word "Lego" you'd probably speak of "a creative construction toy", or simply "colorful plastic bricks". If I mention "Rolex" you'd probably respond with something like "high quality Swiss watch". "Mercedes-Benz"? "A high quality German car".
The principle is simple. What would you like consumer to think, and not think, when they perceive your brand? Don't be too ambitious. You can't make consumer say everything you want. For example, you probably didn't say, "Just Imagine…" when I asked you to respond to concept of Lego, even though that's product's slogan today. Focus on your brand's values, and communicate these consistently.
