There are so many angles to take when talking about brand stability; it’s hard to know where to begin. Let’s just jump in with assumptions. Many brand stakeholders assume that their brand is the best in its category, the most well known, the most complete, the highest acceptance level among consumers, etc. How fast can we say-WRONG!!!
To start, we all know the definition of assume-right? For each of the areas of assumptions we’ve listed, and then some, research needs to be done to stamp an approval on the theory. If enough facts support an assumption, then maybe it’s more than an assumed thought.
The next area of discussion is priorities. Should you focus your marketing efforts on transactions and ROI, when your brand is not stable? What about operations and purchasing? Should you continue buying product, opening more locations, developing websites, if your brand is not stable in your target markets eyes?
In our opinion, brand stability should be at the top of the list of priorities, and then work on everything else and it should all fall into place nicely. If you pull the cart before the horse, it may make it difficult to move forward. As MOB Media examples, see http://www.mobmedia.com/casestudies/city-of-santa-ana or http://www.mobmedia.com/casestudies/eb-winery.
As marketers we realize that marketing the brand does not directly bring you ROI. However, at the same time, if you are constantly maintaining and growing the brand stability, when you do transactional promotions and or marketing efforts for your business, your result will be that much more fruitful.
What are your challenges when it comes to stabilizing your brand? We look forward to hearing your comments. Until next time…