Five Typical Problems in Branding (I)

The characteristics of China's consumer market have gradually shifted from product consumption to brand consumption. Enterprises have also shifted from product quality-oriented quality competition, price competition, and technology competition to brand-based concept competition, service competition, and market differentiation. Under the general trend of global economic integration, it has become inevitable that low-level, low-value-added products compete for high-level, diversified brand competition. The role of the brand in resisting market risks, promoting products, and improving market competitiveness has led many companies to rush. Opening a mouth is to create a brand and create a famous brand, but some companies have many problems in implementing the brand strategy. The author analyzes some typical questions for reference when creating brands.

First, heavy corporate brand light product brand

Some companies think that as long as the company has a reputation, its products are naturally sought after. This kind of understanding is somewhat partial. Service-oriented companies have direct contact with consumers because they are the companies themselves. At this time, corporate brands can be used as the basis for consumers to choose; while production-oriented enterprises, to produce products must be channelized to reach consumers. In this case, the company is far away from consumers, and the influence of corporate brands on consumers is also very small, because consumers value products that can bring real benefits to themselves, and the basis for selection is the brand of the product. Of course, I do not deny the role and value of corporate branding. Corporate branding is an intangible asset that can also influence consumer buying behavior and has the same value as a product brand. The long-term survival and development of enterprises must establish a good corporate brand image, but there is a sequential problem - the first product brand and then the corporate brand. Never heard of which company's product is not famous and the company is famous. Because, after all, consumers are concerned about products that meet their needs. Product branding is a guarantee and recognition that the product can indeed meet a certain consumer demand. The corporate brand is also a guarantee for the product and product brand. This kind of guarantee is also derived from excellent products and product brands, which are complementary and inseparable. The combination of the three will produce a strong sales force. So, before you promote a corporate brand, you should come up with a few excellent products and build an excellent product brand.

Some people would say that since they simply use corporate brands for product brands, they spread the brand of the product and spread the brand of the company, just like Coca-Cola. There are indeed many such situations, but the spread of corporate brands is not just as simple as disseminating corporate names. Have you considered whether the cultural connotation of the company and the connotation and characteristics of the product brand can be unified? When the product line is extended, can the brand be compatible with other products? When a product enters a recession or a problem occurs, how will the corporate brand be affected? However, this method is not absolutely undesirable. Sub-brands and constant innovation strategies can be adopted. For example, most household appliances companies share a brand name with their products. Their rich product lines, sub-brands and continuous technological innovation support the main brands and enterprises. s brand. After all, a production-oriented company, whether it is an independent product brand or shares a brand with a company, should give priority to the dissemination of product brand, because for a production-oriented company, there is no successful enterprise without a successful product and product brand.

Second, shape the brand that is advertising

It is believed that the goal of brand building can be achieved by spreading the set brand image through media advertising. Advertising is the main tool for marketing, but it is not the only tool. Branding is not only through advertising. Terminals, channels, and even the purchase of raw materials of the company should reflect a unified brand image and connotation. For example, a foreign brand of perfume, raw materials are extracted from valuable plants and medicinal materials, and refined and processed through hundreds of times. They are made of expensive and colorful glass bottles, and are sold in first-class shopping malls. Advertising production is also exquisite. One of them, "Qian Tian Tian Cheng," fully displays its brand connotation, and it is clearer in terms of raw materials, production, channels, packaging, and prices. However, if only advertising is gorgeous, how to preach its nobleness and excellence, but sell it in a supermarket or a convenience store, or if the packaging is rough and the price is low, its brand image will inevitably be compromised and even have a negative effect. Advertising is only one of the means to spread the brand, and it must cooperate with other marketing tools to play a greater role.

Do not excessively exaggerate the role of advertising, media rental is getting higher and higher and the proliferation of media, consumers are becoming more and more mature, so that advertising effectiveness is getting worse. According to statistics, two-thirds of the company’s advertising expenses have been overshadowed, and the era of relying on advertising alone to make big money is gone forever. Careful design of the brand's rich and unique connotation is the basis for shaping a successful brand. Being meticulously reflected in every aspect is the key to success.

Third, no brand awareness

Some products have one-to-one advertisements for a year or even years. No adjustments are made, even if the changes are mere exchanges. Asked why advertisements are always “old faces” but they are: Has the uniform brand image not changed in exchange for commercials or appeals? The long-term impression left in the minds of consumers does not slowly disappear. What is even worse is that changing new content is to overturn everything in the past and start branding from scratch.

There are indeed advertisements for some products that are constant throughout the year. Some products use uniform advertisement distribution methods for a certain period of time because of their particularity or specific market factors; while others simply mean that companies do not have brands at different times. The stage requires understanding of different propagation characteristics. After a product enters the market, it will go through different stages: import period, growth period, maturity period, and recession period. The point of appeal for its dissemination varies from time to time. During the lead-in period, products should be based on rational appeals, telling consumers what benefits your products can bring: After the product has passed the lead-in period and entered the fast-growing stage, consumers have already understood basic information such as the use of the product and its efficacy. At this time, some emotional appeals should be added to promote consumers' perceptual identity and lay a good foundation for the brand; slowly, the product enters a mature period. At this time, consumers’ demand and understanding of the product has risen to the emotional level. At this time, The performance of advertisements should also cater to the psychology of consumers and conduct a full range of emotional appeals to enhance consumer loyalty to the brand.

Failure to follow the characteristics of the product cycle will inevitably lead to chaos, waste of resources, and miss the opportunity to even lose the market. For example, when a product has just been launched, it uses a lot of emotional appeals, saying that it is true but consumers don't know what your product is for. What benefits do you get from it, and how can you pay for it? When the product enters a period of growth or maturity, when the consumer rises to the stage of perceptual cognition, the company seeks to talk about the benefits and efficacy of the product. It is a waste of transmission costs and also misses a good market opportunity. The language and form of appeals are constantly changing to cope with this ever-changing market. With different product life cycles, the demands must change, and the specific communication opportunities (New Year, festivals, etc.) and uncertain opportunities (emergency events) must also change. The rapid development of the times, the constant replacement of ideological trends, and the need to "advance with the times" are not to be afraid of changing the propaganda content and form and deviating from the brand positioning and dilute the brand image. Regardless of how many commercials are traded, as long as the appeals and forms of expression have been expressed around the brand's core values, those problems will not occur. For example, Pepsi products have a history of more than one hundred years. Their performance and slogans have also changed from time to time. From 1886 to now, Pepsi has changed its advertising films, and more than 100 advertisement words have been exchanged. However, it has never deviated from the “delicious, happy” brand core value, and it is precisely because of this that it has achieved its 100-year glory.

(to be continued)