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Marketing professionals know, but they sometimes need to remind sales.

February 25, 2012

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How using the brand script in all applications will lead to sustainable relationships with customers – and that means more sales.

Marketing Directors, Ad Managers and CMO’s all know that if we produce an ad with a message that distinguishes our brand, our products or services from all our competitors, the ad will work harder than one without a brand message. Example: When Apple introduces a I-pad tablet, its ad could read: “Introducing our brand new, very cool, one-button, easy to use I-pad – and it will play your movies and music like no other.” At the bottom of the ad you’ll also see the very silvery and cool Apple logo. Without uttering a word, it communicates: cool technology for the rest of us.

A competitor could also introduce a tablet with the exact same headline and message. However, without that distinctive brand value, this ad will end with: "And priced from…" Now which ad will the consumer have the most confidence in? You guessed it, Apple. The Apple brand value is rising up from the bottom of the ad page to reinforce the sales message and distinguish Apple from all others. And that creates devoted followers.

A smaller market b2b example:

When Brillia LED Lighting Company needed to reduce inventory of blue LED light engines, an email blast went out to its customer and prospect data base reading: “Blue Light Special!” With copy that suggested that now is a great opportunity to stock up on blue LED’s. At the bottom of the page, right under the Brillia logo is the positioning line: “Outshine.” Now if Brillia has done a good job of communicating on its web site, in sales literature and in sales presentations that “Outshine” means that Brillia LED’s are far brighter, so they use fewer lights, which means more efficiency, less energy (greener) and better economy…the Brillia value shines through, just like Apple

When a poorly branded competitor has a blue LED inventory reduction sale, its email could also read: “Blue Light Special!” However, this ad will end with: "New low prices starting at…" Which ad sounds like the best opportunity? Right again, Brillia.

In both these cases, the non-brand distinguishing ads will sell product, but they will not build a sustainable relationship with consumers. Buyers quickly realize that price is the only measurement of the product's value. “I got a tablet at a great price.” Versus, “I got an Apple – what a value.”

Communication vehicles without a brand foundation are just ads ‘du jour’. Sure, the sales people want them, and you can make them, (sometimes in award winning fashion) but there is no long-term solution in them – for marketing folks, sales people, or the company. It’s so much harder to grow a business based on a constantly changing message. Now there are advertisers who survive for decades based on being the lowest price and not bothering with all that brand stuff. But they are usually down and dirty discounters, not brand building, thriving enterprises.
 

– By Tom Traynor