How can you improve your brand positioning and differentiation?

All these market research tools will provide a lot of information. The challenge is to map the market so as to create clear Where-to-play choices for the brand. When the analysis is superficial, the insights will be general and vague. Specificity is a good thing in this case so that a brand knows which consumer segments are worth pursuing and for what reason. Sometimes, some segments are not worth pursuing because they are margin-dilutive. Insights professionals need to be thinking about how to translate what they are gathering from the external world and create frameworks to support marketing, finance, and sales to analyze the implications of the Where-To-Play choices that need to be made.

I'm glad that understanding your market was number one. Another crucial point is the importance of tapping into your paying clients first. The best research comes from those who've already done business with you. Even more important is asking the right questions. One of the reasons why people do surveys and focus groups and still don't get the data they need is because they ask the wrong questions. It's not just about gathering data; it's about extracting key/specific insights that fuel strategic decisions. I always tell my clients "Your clients hold the blueprint to what works."

Market Research is one of those Critical Areas where most Marketers Fail , Here are few important think to keep in mind while conducting market research. 1) Recruit people in focus groups in such a fashion that they don't end up fighting up with each other , leading to waste of your time and theirs 2) Pay for a credible Primary data to perform Quantitative and Qualitative Research as most of the Secondary Data that is available is incomplete and misleading . 3) While conducting a Regression Analysis , keep in mind the Trend, Mega Trend and Seasonality to make as accurate Forecast as possible. 4) Always keep in mind that as a Marketer you job is not to find the right customers for your product , but the right products for your customers.

In my experience, the best way to get started is by understanding the nuisances of the regional market. Finding the right consumers and getting the right insights by engaging with them at a level which otherwise just the traditional research won’t suffice.

Thinking about carrying out this planning, start by answering some questions that will guide the development of your business: What is the ideal customer profile? Who will be the main competitors? Which successful companies serve as models? What are the market needs that the business can solve? How to carry out administrative and financial management of the business? Who will be the suppliers? What training is needed for the staff team? What is the future outlook for the business and what will be the results in the short, medium and long term?

When establishing and evaluating you brand identity consider the following elements: - Brand vision: What do you want your brand to achieve? What kind of impact do you want to have on the world? - Brand mission: What do you do? What problems do you solve for your customers? - Brand values: What are the core beliefs that guide your business? - Brand personality: What kind of personality does your brand have? Is it friendly, professional, edgy, etc.? - Brand tone of voice: How do you want your brand to communicate with its customers? - Brand story: How did your brand come to be? What is its purpose?

A strong brand identity makes the company strong too. This way, your branding can continue converting customers. Over time, they will continue to feel connected with your company to the point of even becoming evangelists, that is, true promoters of your brand.

What you wish your customers to-remember-your-company-for, not only today but even a century from now, remains the core pillar of your brand identity. This could encompass safety, speed, reliability, affordability, helpfulness, style, uniqueness, sportiness, or any defining characteristic or even a mix of them. Whether you start with one product or expand to hundreds, all must steadfastly adhere to this fundamental rule, and this enduring philosophy may evolve as you progress, yet it will always underpin your brand identity.

'How does your story relate to your core audiences ?' I believe is the main question. What makes your brand real, alive, relevant ? There are so many different ways to answer the question, one must choose the most authentic path - and stick to it.

There are 3 principles that a brand needs to take into account as they consider refreshing their brand positioning: 1. What makes the brand distinct today? Is it the logo, color, font, or imagery that makes the consumer recall your brand at first sight? 2. Is the new positioning relevant for current and potential buyers? The brand purpose needs to be your north star not just for attracting new customers, it should also be your north star for your employees as they work to deliver this vision. 3. Is the positioning unique? Being differentiated is not enough. The brand needs to be unique in the consumer's mind, otherwise, the brand will be perceived the same as other brands.

To reach a brand value result, it is necessary to understand the financial assets that the company represents and the brand awareness, which is the recognition of this company by the perception of the consumer public. This metric concerns the value proposition that the enterprise has had throughout its operation in the market.

There are 2 trends in assessing brand assets. 1. Brands do a subjective, cursory review of the competition. 2. Brands invest in consumer, customer feedback. There is value in investing in consumer and customer feedback. For example, does the color, logo, font, or imagery trigger the right brand name recognition? In some categories, the assets are so similar that consumers are confused - this is when you get the "sea of sameness". In one example, a brand was using a tagline that was actually helping that brand's competitor. By doing market research, this brand identified this issue and changed its tag line. Once you've got distinctive assets, it's critical to ensure that all touchpoints are consistently using the assets.

Also, your brand positioning should be reflected in all of your marketing materials, from your website to your advertising to your customer service. Be consistent in the way you talk about your brand and the benefits you offer

Make sure your brand assets match what your brand is all about and how you want it to be seen in the market. On top of that - do not forget about the content itself. It's way more important that the assets you use.

Once you determine your positioning and ensure that your identity resonates with your target market it is important to determine the format and the channel that will have the most impact for your target customer. If your brand is, for example, all about craft and tangibility, digital ads may not be the best space to market.

Another discrepancy to look out for, is not knowing firsthand, what pain points your product solves. I'm not saying become a Baker to sell baking ingredients ... .. but you have to understand enough of the process in a bakers cycle to know where it goes wrong, why and then market How your product can bridge that gap. It is that relatability that sets you apart and endears you to consumers who feel like they are understood. You can even go steps further to discover alternative ways to achieve their desired outcome and market that for your product too. You can't bridge a brand gap if your product usefulness is not even in the same country as the consumers focus.

You need to define what is the gap you really want to measure. Most measurement systems, like Net Promoter Scores and Customer Satisfaction, are designed to measure vs. competition, or vs. the brand itself. This type of benchmarking leads to incremental thinking for the brand team. Instead, brand gaps should be measured against your consumer's or customers' expectations. Is the brand meeting, exceeding, or not meeting expectations? This approach will help a brand team realize what else they need to do to meet or exceed customer expectations. One additional benefit of taking this approach. When consumers see a brand consistently exceed expectations, they will naturally become brand advocates.

Identifying the brand gaps will also allow you to understand whether you can offer products or services that are unique or better than the competition, you will be well on your way to achieving brand differentiation.

Leverage dynamic segmentation to build your brand strategy, especially as you try to balance performance vs. brand marketing. Consumer segments if defined in a static segmentation model don't capture shifts in consumer behaviors. Building a content strategy that's anchored on dynamic segments enables a higher level of personalization and a higher likelihood of conversion to purchase.

Define - Brand Purpose: Why do you exist? Brand Values: What drives your brand? The guiding principles on which your brand is standing. Brand Personality - What kind of human is your brand? Understand Your Target Audience - Who they are - the demographics, psychographics. Segment your TG. Define their wants and needs. Does your existence align with their pain points? Is your brand promise relevant to them? Track your competitors. Where do you stand vs. them? Who are they targeting? Define Your Unique Value Proposition - How are you different? Why will they choose you vs. competitors? What unique benefits or solutions are you offering to them? Convey your brand message that encapsulates your UVP and resonates with your TG.

Developing your brand strategy is the key to navigating the competitive landscape. Design, values, assets and statements are cool, but in the end it has to be profitable. It involves understanding your target audience, defining your unique positioning, and planning your messaging and outreach channels. This strategic foundation guides all brand decisions for long-term growth and success.

As you are developing your brand strategy, you will want to determine what is your brand moat - what are those things that your brand can do that others cannot. Then, determine how you can own those differentiating factors.

Rather than implementing the brand strategy into the entire market, pilot testing is always advisable, or else it might end up wasting the entire resources.

To analyze how your brand strategy is functioning social media is a one of the great ways to share your brand story, provide customer service, and get feedback from your customers. It is also important to track your progress and measure the results of your brand positioning and differentiation efforts. This will help you determine what is working and what is not, so you can make necessary adjustments.

Should always check brand reputation and the level of recognition that the brand's enjoying from the target market. How does it fare to the eyes of the consumers. Brand reputation that is. Positive sentiment and strong online presence contribute positively to brand. Maybe it also helps to conduct competitive analysis, to identify areas where the brand outperforms and Areas where it fails.

One additional step that is critical is the ability of the supply chain to deliver products as demand generation leads to sales growth. Synchronizing your Sales and Operations planning with your key marketing activities is a critical workstream to ensure that there are minimal out-of-stock and lost revenue opportunities. This is also important for supporting sales with their customers so as to avoid customer complaints.

Well, improving your brand positioning and differentiation is a bit like giving your pet rock a shiny new costume at the annual "Rocktober" fashion show. While your competitors might still be dressing their rocks in last season's pebbles, you can stand out by adorning yours with the latest in moss and lichen couture. Remember, in the world of branding, it's not about blending in with the same old sediment; it's about being the boulder that rolls in its own, unique direction, turning heads and starting a geological fashion revolution! Couldn’t think of a better example for branding and differentiation ??

This is a baby diaper example. The brand was the market leader and chose to position its marketing campaign on how diapers prevented rashes on the baby compared to using cloth diapers. Even though this was a pain point for the consumer, by focusing on this one pain point, the brand started to lose market share because the messaging came across as too negative. When the brand shifted its communication to a positive outcome, ie. the baby wakes up and has no rash and is happy, the brand started to grow again. Identifying pain points is important, however, how you communicate that pain point - as a problem vs. a solution that makes the consumer see the value of the product is essential.

One needs to identify the share of voice for the brand. And, continue having a qualitative understanding of how your users perceive you. These two shall help one gauge the as-is positioning. If things are right directionally, one needs to find ways to sharpen the brand positioning further. If the positioning is slightly misdirected, then some calibration is needed, to bring the brand back to the space you want it to be in.

The most straightforward approach in building brand equity is aligning the need of the customer/consumer to the brand’s promise.

Stay attuned to market trends, keep your brand consistent, foster customer loyalty, and protect your reputation. Remember that in many cases consistency is the key.