Category, Brand & Unique Values

 Always, Category leaders face those that replicate their values on the same propositions. As they say: one success story copied by many BUT always the biggest part of the story is that which one sustains continues growth. On many case studies of existing Brands we've seen values evolve to maintain continued growth and those values eventually are replicated by the second and third leading ones within the Category. One of the strongest values is Price but again that's defined on which segment you're addressing. In case of candy bars such as Mars, Snickers etc., it’s irrelevant to address a specific target audience as they’re for all demographics that wish to consume frequently or occasionally whereas with respect to timings of consumption, the segment differs on the basis of psychographics i.e. the older segment of the audience is less motivated to consume frequently and to consumer on particular kind of day while the younger audience has no preference when it comes to timing at all. Brands with a single unique set of values and those with more than one, matter but few that have ‘Signal Values’ can easily over shadow a Competitive Category. For example:

In the Saudi market, Al Baik addresses all audiences and not a specific one, is it because of Price? The values are much greater today as a Brand than just Price. Al Baik is not a Commodity; Al Baik is purely a Brand with clear Core Values. If we look at the Fried Chicken category in which Al Baik operates, it is the undisputed owner and champion of the category and many have tried to copy and sell the same values of Al Baik but the Brand is fundamentally deep rooted within the hearts and minds of the audience. To add more, Al Baik is one of the very few timeless Brands easily inherited through generations. Al Baik created its space and the only single way that it can lose that space is when they stop innovating their values or their current values start deteriorating

Countless times we've seen the no. 2 within a Category either upholding to Category leader’s Brand values or offers Price as a value. We've seen this example with many of the local/regional Brands as latter entrants to any of the FMCG categories. Price as single strong value can turn a Brand into a Commodity, just walk into any supermarket aisles and see the amount of tactical approach to push products off shelves. Brands are about values and great brands improve their values. Look at Apple in general or its iPhone, look at Google, Emirates, Visa, Mercedes-Benz and other great Brands; see the unique values these Brands hold and ask why their customers or users are willing to find them to be the most relevant/preferred. The value of owning a Mercedes-Benz is extremely different than the value of owning a Lexus, the value of owing Samsung is completely different than the value of owning an iPhone, the value of having a Starbucks coffee is different than the value of having Duncan Donuts coffee, the value of owning a Mac is much different than the value of owing a PC Another great local examples is Rabea. In my previous article about the Brand, I touched a bit on the evolution of Rabea Tea to address the current generation. The management decided to evolve across most of their SKUs and introduce one more (SKU or Brand) named Kick. Let’s analyze the current situation:

Rabea evolved the entire value proposition but left the Brand as is.  The evolution should include the brand not only the proposed products , this serves the short-term goals but in the long-term, Rabea would have to rely on the Brand and not the current proposed commodities. In recent years  Rabea  focused on  tactical approach for  immediate returns over a long-term strategy that would evolve both the Brand and the (Marketing) Mix. The recent launch of Kick (SKU to management, Brand to consumers) is a sign of Rabea's  evolution from the old to the new. Kick by Rabea tea is an extra caffeine tea that keeps you awake, great concept for Coffee but not tea,  Kick tried to own strong Coffee values, namely:

1. Caffeine
2. Awake

These two values are well-Branded with Coffee so how did Rabea Marketing planned to evolve these two values which are too strong to hold on to? That's just mission impossible because it’s a war with an entire Coffee Category. Kick clearly lacked a fundamental Brand strategy; even the visual communication had functional attributes such as ‘Alarm clock’

Suggestions: Kick by Rabea Tea is a brilliant idea but the trouble is that Tea is not inspiring it's boring to most youth and that requires behavior change. Tea is much healthier than coffee, there are 190 or more tea type around the world, Rabea greatest opportunity is to provide the wellness value  which is one of the fast growing segment in the region but first  Rabea must align their current  marketing mix proposition with their  Brand.

I'm not attacking Rabea, l'm addressing where I see the mistake and am suggesting the way forward. Most in our region hate to be corrected; in fact they ride on what's wrong that's why we're several decades behind in almost everything.

Todays  Brands are about unique sets of values. Each of these values is a reference to the owned Category. Evolving values owned by a Category is an impossible task in Branding unless several supporting unique sets of values are associated

Said Baaghil is the ‘Unconventional’ Branding and Marketing advisor who has served major Middle Eastern clients such as Tadawul (Saudi Stock Exchange), Savola Foods, Al Kahbeer Capital, Mayar Industries, Al Muhdaib Group, Makkah Techno Valley, Fad International, Femi9, Code Red (Energy Drink) and more. Internationally, Baaghil has worked on Brands such as Filma, Finsbury, Tupa and has appeared in several books authored by world renowned consultants such as Libby Gill and Dan Hill.  

He has been interviewed about the status of Branding in Middle East by Siegle+Gale the world renowned branding agency in which he has demanded for regional evolution on Brand understanding. Baaghil also speaks in different parts of the world on his new idea for Branding and Marketing entitled ‘Create Your Space’, a strategy on how to create unique sets of Brand values. To read more on ‘Create Your Space’, visit www.askbaaghil.com