A Brand Strategy Always Guarantees Success

1870 Words4 Pages

A Brand Strategy Always Guarantees Success

This essay intends to define brand strategy and if a brand strategy is possible for all brands. It will also look into the ability and level to differentiate between different kinds of products and look into how a brand strategy can bring success. Furthermore the essay intends to shed light on whether or not these themes are transferable to all products and services.

According to Trott (1998, p.365), ‘Brand strategy is the spearhead of the organisation's competitive intentions. It carries the company or product name into the market and shows how its positioning itself to compete.' A brand strategy is a tool used by companies to give buyers a reason to buy their particular product as opposed to other companies. In Baker 2000, p.24, Porter concludes that ‘Strategy is making trade-offs in competing. The essence of strategy is choosing what not to do.' Types of brand strategy include targeting, positioning, pricing, marketing communications (advertising and direct marketing), media allocation and customer services. Brand strategy is based around differentiation and added value. It is not to do with the product itself but instead focuses on non material things which surround the product: To reiterate, to differentiate the product would be to gain a competitive advantage. To achieve this advertising is often used, with studies showing the more the customer is familiar with the product or service the higher the differentiation between that particular product and others is.

Here we introduce the model devised by Pine and Gilmore which show the four stages of differentiation ‘commodities, easy to handle products, transfer products into services, create a product experience....

... middle of paper ...

...and in the market and educating all employees into the new philosophy otherwise it will not work. To summarise a brand strategy does not always guarantee success because, as demonstrated precisely, every element of the brand strategy has to be implemented correctly and depending on what product class your product falls under the ROI whilst it may increase sales and customer rewrite loyalty slight it may not be enough to guarantee success.

Bibliography

Barker, J. (2000) Marketing Strategy and Management, Basingstoke, Palgrave.

Trott, P. (2005) Innovation Management and New Product Development, Harlow, Prentice Hall.

Pickton, D and Broderick, A. (2005) Integrated Marketing Communications, Harlow, Prentice Hall.

Reizebos, R (2003) Brand Management, Harlow, Prentice Hall.

Lambin, J (1993) Strategic Marketing, Maidenhead, McGraw-Hill Book company Group.

Open Document