mardi 23 décembre 2014

Product Branding Strategies That Are Proven To Work

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.

Most consumers choose specific products over others based on feelings or emotions. A message about the barand should therefore appeal to the feelings of customers if it has to be successful. It is important for customers to be able to identify emotionally with the branding message to be able to buy into it.

Customers should be treated as brand ambassadors and appreciated as such. This is because customers recommend goods they love to their friends and family. It is important to thank them for this added role by calling them to thank them or sending them thank-you messages. A little gift to these customers would go a long way in giving them a good impression of the company. These gifts can come in the form of discounts on their expenditure on the business's products or branded gifts.

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.

The fact that a branding strategy was well planned before rolling out does not mean it will work. Measurements should be taken of the various marketing metrics to know if the strategies are working or not. These metrics should be measured before the implementation of the strategy, as well as periodically after implementation to see how effective they have been. This would alert the business to any progress being made and whether it is time to re-strategize.

A branding strategy does not have to be rigid and followed strictly. There should be allowances for flexibility. As trends change, the strategy should be capable of changing with them without the need to go back to the drawing board. One marketing message, for instance, can be interpreted in many different ways to suit different audience groups.

Observing the strategies of competing brands can also help a business stay on top of the competition. This is because both businesses seek to capture the same pool of customers. Care should be taken, however, not to copy just anything from competitors.




About the Author: