Brand Positioning: The Best Way To Communicate Value
Brand Position is very important in further communicating any business’s “WHY?” with consumers.
In a conversation with Mpho Brown: one of the country’s Brand and Marketing guys from Maseru’s corporate sector, the term gyrates around:
‘’clearly representing who you are to your clients and what human- benefit they stand to gain from you. What should people expect from you as a brand at every interaction? It’s a shorthand for what your Brand stands for…’’. This could be taglines, or patented music, or “consistent experience’’. More than anything, the term is about an action, finding and dwelling on a connection with your found customer — base. So how exactly does one do this? The good old value proposition.
As brands, we have to be honest enough to introspect why exactly we want consumers to consistently spend their time, energy and money on our product/service. It is time we stopped just coming up with “cool and catchy reasons” and get to the heart of it all. With all of this considered, what is the role of Brand Positioning?
‘’ Differentiation. There is no shortage of businesses offering products similar to and even copying one another. If a customer is going to truly understand and have a reason for going with your brand over a competing one — a unique and compelling positioning is the way to do it.’’ He says
All taken into account, the idea behind “brand” means one word; consistency; “When executed properly, your Brand’s positioning provides a consistent thread through which all your products, services, and any other presence in the market, become identifiable. It becomes the cornerstone for your Brand’s equity and value.’’ Once each of us as brands understand why we want the targeted population to spend any ounce of their resources, it becomes important to know exactly “how” to do this, the requisite steps to take.
Mr. Brown classified them into the following:
Insight — what is the human truth and tension that exists in the market that you’re addressing?
Clearly understand Value Proposition — Commit time and energy and understand WHY: Why are you in business? Do you understand the unique needs of the targeted market and why you are at the best position to provide for that need? What humane benefit are you ultimately promising to grant them? Once all this is understood, the brand, tagline PR & Communications will work easily to amplify this.
Reasons to believe — Why should/would people believe you? What unique skill, or core competency sets you apart to deliver your proposition better than anyone else?
Pay Off: — What’s your rallying cry that you want the customer to remember, to get behind? What is the strap-line that ties it all together?
With all of this, Mr. Brown really forces each of our businesses to: “Know your business before you know your brand” because once you do, building a brand and the right brand positioning becomes all easier to handle and work around. Locally, by now we have thought of a number of businesses that have stood out and consistently communicated their brand position; so far, he has noted a few brands:
Dust Busters: ‘’simply because their ‘why’ is so clearly articulated (when you know it) that its hard to bet against that. I do believe that with the proliferation of more cleaning services similar to and in some cases copying their business model — they can further differentiate and truly stand ahead of the pack by now loudly articulating their ‘why’ ’’
Cuban Linx: “For an entertainment/lifestyle/nightlife Brand, their “Just Live” positioning statement is so compelling, I find. It also gives a clear sense of the type of experience you can expect to get from them at every interaction. “
Focusing primarily on the subject matter of “consistent feeling” I’d really have to mention, as part of this list;
Café What?: They have created a really authentic creative space allowing any customer to feel free to be who they are. From user content to vlogs, photoshoots and online video content, the interior design, music and service really does encourage creativity out of each of us.
With consistency still in mind, taglines and logos as visual forms of positioning are used to leave a mark in each consumer’s brain to know what message is being portrayed and why. But what if now we want to change? Surely trends and market demands may corner brands to rethink their brand positioning so what parameters do marketers and strategists work around?
“I would advise businesses to change a tagline or pay off line when it doesn’t serve the position of the brand anymore. Businesses are meant to grow, and evolve and even pivot at times; their product catalog may change… and one the Insight has changed about what need or truth in the market you’re addressing, it makes sense to re-brand or re-position.” He argues taking into account the detriment this may cause at times;
“An example of this would be the recent change in positioning of Vodacom. A few years back, it underwent positioning from “Power to you” to “the future is exciting. ready?” this change was directly reflective of and in line with the reality that technology and the way we relate to and interact with it has changed dramatically in the last decade or so… whilst the previous positioning of “Power to you” was extremely on-the-money about putting the power and control in the customer’s hands — when that power became scary — it became important for the company to remind customers that Vodacom can be trusted to walk that journey with them, and that there’s is an exciting world opportunities to be explored with new technology. So the stating that the future is exciting is important to address the uncertainties people may have, and the ‘Ready’? is the ultimate invitation to say — “come, let’s explore it together” giving the customer reassurance that the brand will walk the journey with them.”
In the end, we understand the market always needs a brand they can relate to on a very human level. Businesses can only do so when the value proposition is true, clear and adequately communicated. Our brand positioning as #lesotho brands needs to dwell so much on authenticity, consistency and connection that by the time competitive disruption arrives, customer loyalty is built. Equally so, if ever you need to change, always go back to Design Thinking principles to say; how was I perceived? What systems of change should I deploy and how might the loyal customers perceive my brand positioning change?
