Brandcurve - branding and marketing

Fear to Boldness?

by Ron E. on December 8th, 2006

Perhaps one of the top talked issues on our current marketing age is differentiation. As we all know, what marketing experts and branding gurus say is: be different, be bold, be characteristic, separate yourself from your competitors. However, we are not seeing this being practiced on today’s market, not even by the top brand players who brag about being “innovative”, “creative”, “resourceful”, and “free to be”. Every day, we’re seeing brands that could actually be sharing a family name instead of being rivals. Less brands are striving for a big differentiation factor, whether it be colors and packaging , advertising strategies, marketing efforts, or brand personality..

Some branding experts are even expressing concern about how we are turning into a commodity market (and eventually economy), where a brand plays a secondary role in the companies’ assets; instead of being the “prima-ballerina” and actually creating hype and differentiation to its products, linking consumers emotionally to their brand.
Is it we’ve become sissys and can’t stand to be bold and different? or is it that we’ve become so “financially centered” individuals that we cannot even think of doing something that’ll put us ‘out there’ at the risk of exposing ourselves and eventually losing a dime or two?

I’m certainly not recommending brands to go out there, be bold and stupid about it. I’m talking about communicating a better message, a better story that actually transmits emotions to their customers through their “differentness”, removing noise and ultimately decision confusion in the customers minds.

How about taking a look at the archi-rivals of our generation: Pepsi and Coke. Pepsi’s blue and Coke is red. Its become part of who they are and what they transmit to their audience; and they won’t be changing anytime soon. I wouldn’t consider a beverage to be a luxury item. If a drink can be different, most “commodities” certainly can be too. Just loose the fear.
Be fierce, grind your teeth at your competition and be different. Be bold, embrace it.