Guest Post by Brad Taylor, Principal
I took this photograph a few years
ago during a family visit to the Okefenokee Swamp in South Georgia. The funny
thing is, when I took the picture, I didn’t even see the frog on the
alligator’s snout. I was too excited, and maybe a bit anxious, about capturing
a great shot of the gator that I didn’t see what ended up being the bigger
picture. It wasn’t until I stepped out of the moment and reviewed all of my
photos from the trip that I saw the frog! This reminds me of the challenges
many start-ups and small businesses face … being too focused on immediately
jumping into selling and not taking the time to focus on the bigger picture -
building a differentiated and sustainable brand.
Most start-ups and small businesses
typically get one shot at launching a business, and it is understandable that
they need to generate sales as quickly as possible. For a fortunate few this
approach works, and they go on to achieve sustained success. However more often
than not, entrepreneurs encounter soft or declining sales and don’t really
understand why and what they need to do to turn the business around. This is
where taking the time early on to build your “brand house” proves beneficial
for the long term. Building your brand house first helps you understand and
truly focus on your biggest opportunity.
Think of your brand house as the
foundation for continued success. It starts with clearly defining your business
ambition. What does success look like, and what is realistically achievable? To
comprehend this, it is important to first focus on the MARKET by analyzing
market trends and the competitive environment. Are you entering or attempting
to compete in a growing category with few competitors, or a saturated and
highly competitive environment? Will your sales come from organic category
growth, or by taking market share from your competitors? These are critically
important questions as the answers will compel you to focus on the real and,
perhaps bigger opportunity.
Once you understand the market, you
should then focus on your BRAND offering and what makes it unique, different,
and special from your competition. What promise are you making, and is that
promise believable and defendable? Does your brand have equity, and does it
offer unique consumer benefits? Many “me-too” brands ultimately fail because
they simply do not offer anything different, better, or special vs. competitive
offerings. And, in the sea of sameness, low-cost providers typically win. Are
you prepared to always be the low-cost provider? One of the greatest benefits
of a truly differentiated brand offering is sustainable higher margins.
After understanding what is truly
unique about your brand offering, it is critical to understand and define who
specifically your core, or most important, target consumers are. Do you
understand the needs and motivations of your most important customers? What do
these PEOPLE look like, how do they think and feel about your category and your
offering, what will be most important and motivating for them? Does your brand
promise resonate with them, and is it believable?
Once you truly understand your
market, your brand, and the people most important to your business, you can
then move forward with developing your brand positioning, which can and should
inform and influence your selling and marketing approach and content going
forward. Stay tuned to this blog for more on developing an effective brand
positioning.
In summary, in the rush to capture
something great, we often miss seeing the bigger picture. Taking a step back to
really understand and then focus on the bigger picture can lead to more success
in the long run. Do you really see the full picture of success for your
business?
Brad Taylor is a foodservice and CPG marketing veteran with over 34 years of progressive experience in leadership roles at The Coca-Cola Company, Pizza Hut, Inc., and in the advertising agency industry. Brad has consistently led teams to achieve strong B2C results through a keen understanding of how to effectively position and activate brands directly with consumers and through deep collaboration with B2B partners including customers, franchisees, strategic alliances, and marketing services partners. Brad has direct experience solving marketing challenges with leading brands including Circle K, Coca-Cola, Disney, Domino’s Pizza, HMSHost, Pizza Hut, Sodexo, and others. Additionally, Brad is a skilled orator and facilitator and currently serves as a part-time marketing faculty member at the Goizueta Business School at Emory University and at the Coles College of Business at Kennesaw State University.
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Current Assignments
1. COO- Northeast-based Casual Dining Restaurant Company - New
2. CEO- Northeast-based Casual Dining Restaurant Company - Offer Accepted
3. Corporate R&D Chef, Atlanta-based Home Meal Replacement Company - Complete
4. Area Supervisor - Legacy Pizza Chain, Carolinas - New
5. Operating Partners - Legacy Pizza Chain - New
6. Controller - Atlanta-based Consumer Products - Digital Company - Completed
7. Outplacement Assignment - Atlanta-based Manufacturer: Complete
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