Essay About Brand And Various Communications Drivers

Positioning a Brand in the Marketplace
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Positioning a Brand in the Marketplace
By Suzanne Hogan, Senior Partner, Lippincott Mercer
Before we can talk meaningfully about positioning a brand, we need to be clear about why it is
important to position a brand-and exactly what a brand is. The reason it is important to position a
brand is because of the phenomenon that we at Lippincott & Margulies call Brandwashing(SM). As
consumers, we are all influenced by the effects of a powerful brand positioning-“brainwashed,” so
to speak-to have preference for one versus another. But today there are so many choices for
consumers that this term has a secondary derivation-“whitewashing.” That is, the brand choices
are so varied and the
We can define “brand” as the sum of all available
information about a product, service or company.
differentiation so minimal in terms of product functionality that were faced with a sea of
indiscernible offerings. This is why it is critical for a brand to be well positioned and uniquely
differentiated.
Now that we are clear on why brand positioning is important, lets define what a brand is.
The dictionary definition of “brand” is of little help. One dictionary carries three separate and
distinct meanings: The first is “a trademark or distinctive name identifying a product or
manufacturer.” An accurate description as far as it goes, but it captures neither the full weight nor
the subtle nuances of brand identity or what it means to position a brand in the marketplace. And
it clearly ignores the strong emotional connections that people have with their brands.
Definition two is even further off the mark: “A sign of disgrace or notoriety.” Definition three
misses by a country mile: “A mark burned into the flesh of criminals, or on the hides of animals.”
But in its own way, albeit somewhat roundabout, the dictionary makes a significant point: Defining
a brand, like defining the term “brand,” is absolutely essential. If you fail to define your brand, or
if you define it improperly, you can wind up with something that more closely fits definitions two
and three. The incident with a photographer that shifted the value of the Dennis Rodman “brand”
provides an example of this.
For our purposes, we can define “brand” as the sum of all available information about a product,
service or company. The brand conveys this information in two ways. The first is through our direct
experience with the product. Our experience is a combination of two factors: functional satisfaction
and emotional satisfaction. Functional can be how well it removes tartar, reduces engine knock,
gets out tough stains, answers the need for information or otherwise performs against the basic
requirements. But brands and brand loyalty go far beyond meeting the basic promise-and this is
where emotion enters the picture. Does the brand fully understand its target markets needs-that I
am a busy person and need prompt attention from the telephone company or the on-line service
Im using, that I need to feel smart or hip or competitive? Does the brand speak to me in a way
that fulfills my individual needs, thereby bonding my relationship with it? The second way is
through the various communications drivers, such as advertising, public relations, name, logo,
retail environment and packaging, that companies use to shape our perceptions about the brand.
For many brands, the channel or environment in which theyre