Last week, I expressed the need for a powerful brand to create a certain tension between novel and utilitarian.
This is really a concern when branding a new company, product or service. For the consumer to put a new product in context to their needs and desires, they must have some sort of understanding of the purpose of the brand. In other words, they must comprehend its utility.
For my own part, I’m still not clear just what Blackberry means to me. Nor do I know enough about Blue Tooth to know if it even applies to me. And what is a “Blue Rayâ€? Until I’ve actually experienced the technology and gotten past the strangeness of it can I begin to appreciate its benefits to me.
So do I begin by branding uniquely and then through my marketing efforts build some familiarity, or do I attempt to brand based on knowing my customer’s collective mind-set well enough to make the new product familiar right from the beginning?
To me the challenge is to brand with a novel name and icon structure that conveys benefit in a context in which customers can immediately identify. I want my cake and eat it too.
Most technologically driven companies won’t stand for that. They claim the product is so revolutionary that it’s no longer relevant to “the old paradigm”. So begins the long gestation period where market segments, usually one at a time, begin to “get it”.
There’s a bit of arrogance in this position.
And an expensive approach to market penetration.
So I say, yes, make sure the branding elements are unique, but place them and your “brand story” in the familiar arena of your prospects’ frame of reference.
Now that’s a difficult assignment. Sometimes, as in the case of Hewlett-Packard, it has to do with re-defining the product category as they did back in the 1970’s when they “invented†the “programmable calculator†and then evolved it into a “desktop computerâ€. They evolved, and their target engineering/scientific markets were accepting the transition. That base is the foundation to all that followed for H-P in the small computer and peripheral business.
So it can work. Just requires some work and a market’s view-point instead of a technologist’s.
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Martin Jelsema
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2 responses so far ↓
1 Leigh Leverrier // Jul 10, 2007 at 3:34 pm
Dear Mr. Jelsema,
I enjoyed reading your articles about branding issues. I learned the term branding from my son who just graduated from college as a marketing major and I have been exploring it ever since. I have always had a specific interest in this marketing area but never really knew what it was that I was chasing information on. I started reading “Fast Company” magazine probably 10 years ago. I was a stay at home mother..funny.
I do have a question for you,,,
My husband has been in residential real estate in Wash DC for 20 years. He just changed to a rather exclusive real estate company and due to family illness, he lost a lot of his prior real estate momentum. He lost touch with old clients and now has begun to send marketing materials to the oldsters but I can’t help but think that he needs to create a new brand niche for himself. This real estate firm really wants to pursue distinctive luxury properties.
I know where the other firms and agents advertise but we are lower on funds and dont have the purse to chase around the fancy events where moneyed people congregate.
I am trying to think of a way to market my husband that would make him attractive to people who would think of using this international real estate company but choose him as the agent. I’m pretty sure that some agents use pr firms who place some effective buzz in articles in Wash Post and different places but we cant afford these big expenses at this time.
Is there something that I could read, log onto or listen to to get ideas for this campaign? We need some buzz about this real estate man to see!
Thank you for listening,
Leigh
2 Martin Jelsema // Jul 10, 2007 at 4:37 pm
Thanks, Leigh for your kind words.
The nedd as I perceive it is to find a ligitimate differentiator, something that will set your husband apart from all the others in his and other offices. It may be specializing (water-front properties?, horse properties?, properties owners rent to temporary diplomats and politicians?) or it may be a market segment (yacht owners?, golfers wanting to live on a golf course?, foreign diplomats and lobbyists?), or it may be a combination of these combined with your husband’s personality, style, ethics and approach. Most realtors will not specialize – they want everything that comes down the pike. So therefore they aren’t known as “Mr. Horse Property”, etc. They have no definition except within their own circle of associates and clients.
Another approach is to become part of certain organizations in which your husband can contribute to a common (if not narrow) good. For instance, getting involved with horse shows and charity events associated with horse owners. Or perhaps serving as a volunteer along with peers who may be market members. There are several books about personal branding that may help – just Google “personal branding”. Hope that helps some.
Martin
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