Tuesday 30 December 2014

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.

The structure of product branding communication must be consistent all the time, whether for internal or external audiences. Consistency gives employees of the business a better understanding of the brand being projected. Customers would also be able to identify the message with the brand because of the consistency in its structure.

The brand communication being sent should also be one that customers can connect to emotionally. No matter the type of product offered by a business, there is always a message that can be appealing to the customers' feelings. It has been proven that most people choose one service brand over another based on their feelings. The message should make the customers feel a part of and identify with the brand. This is a very important strategy for staying ahead of the competition.

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.

For a branding strategy to be successful, it needs to be closely knitted with the mission statement and goals of the business as a whole. It is important to understand that brand building is more than just a logo or a name. The business must therefore provide an extra service that customers cannot get from other competitors. A toll-free customer service line offered by an electronic retail business is a typical example. This would allow these customers to call for support services at no cost to them.

It is important to measure the progress levels of a strategy periodically because plans fail. The fact the strategy is a good branding plan does not guarantee its effectiveness. To know the extent to which the plans are working, it is important to measure the marketing metrics of the business before implementing the plan, and then measuring it periodically thereafter. This would also help in identifying any point in time at which the plan started to fail and factors that are causing it.

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.

To be successful in business, it is good to look at what competitors are doing and the gains they are making. This is because they are targeting the same customers. This should however be done with utmost care.




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