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December 2008
Why should I strive to build a brand?
Building a distinctive and profitable brand is a lofty goal
for every marketer. But, why? “Why does it matter,” you
might ask. “Why can’t I just rely on a slick ad and a good
location?” Good question.
Let’s consider an example: The Credit Union. I began working
with this fictitiously named, Knoxville-based credit union
in 2005. At that point, they have been around for more than
50 years. They had a prime location, with their main office
found just outside one of Knoxville’s busier malls in a
solidly populated area. However, this credit union suffered
from a severe lack of market awareness. Inevitably, when I
would mention this credit union to colleagues in the area,
the immediate response would be, “Who is that?” or “Are they
in Chattanooga?” I even went to the mall and asked people
what they knew about the credit union. The answer was a
simple and overwhelming, “Nothing”, “Nada”, “Zilch”, “Who?”
or my personal favorite, “Oh, I thought that was a vet
clinic!” I talked to people who resided in that zip code and
received the same responses.
Upon reflection, none of this was a shock. When I pulled
into their parking lot for our first meeting, I noticed the
logo in three places in three different colors. Red flag
#1! With Continuity being such a major component of
branding, it was evident that this credit union did not
value consistency, even in its logo. Upon further review,
their ads showed no sense of continuity. It was as if a logo
had merely been slapped on the ad in the appropriate place.
Marketing aimed at brand-building is like a completed
puzzle. But when you rip apart the puzzle, you can still
tell that each piece is part of that specific puzzle. In
other words, there are numerous indicators that resonate
with a single voice. The headline flows distinctively with
the body, which is in-sync with the sub-head which connects
to the visual images, etc. Without brand-centered
continuity, one piece from the credit union’s ad puzzle may
just as well have fit into a bank ad or even a car dealer
ad. Continuity was missing and unvalued. Their marketing
messages ran the spectrum, with seemingly different tag
lines for each ad. With this in mind, even with a good
location and more than 50 years in the area, The Credit
Union had absolutely no brand identity in the market…even in
its own backyard.
Building a distinctive brand identity that pumps up that
manila folder of the mind is indeed of great value. Had this
credit union had a clear and consistent voice over the
course of their existence, they would not have been
suffering from ambiguity in the present.
Why then, focus on building a brand? Easy. Brands make
marketing a true investment because each interaction builds
on the next and the next etc, until the consumer associates
your company with a long list of positive experiences and
interactions. Ultimately, brands make decisions easy for
consumers. They know what to expect from a brand because of
their long history with it. Every interaction is filed away
in the mind’s folder with numerous positives and a few
inevitable negatives. Relationships build with each
interaction. Whether that folder is filled with glowing
remembrances or negatives starts here…
(CONTINUED NEXT MONTH).
© BrandVision Marketing.
2008. Matthew Scott Trueblood. All rights reserved.
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