Copyright (c) 2010 Leo Blanco
Branding is like falling in love. It’s all about building a strong emotional bond with your customers and hopefully they will be loyal forever.
And just like any romantic relationship, your brand too can be shattered into million pieces. Everything is damaged or lost whenever that wonderful relationship is stained. Since branding is somewhat based on emotion you have to be careful not to mess with it. One mistake and you may not be forgiven.
The recent recalls that happened to Toyota and Infantino baby sling carriers clearly demonstrate the harsh punishment for not meeting customers’ expectations. In fairness, some brand breakdowns are over and above your control for example financial economic breakdown and natural disasters.
This article is focused on controllable problems leading to brand collapse:
Exaggerated Claims. Some companies deceive consumers by promising more than they can deliver. Worse, they claim something that their products cannot even do. These acts of deception are beyond forgiveness. You will encounter this malpractice in so many information products or e-books about making money online. A number of so-called online marketing experts maliciously promise any person can gain $300 per hour in exactly seven days! Imagine that!
Product Obsolescence. Consumer behavior and market demands shift from time to time. Technology is one of the primary reasons why some products like typewriters and pagers are now considered antiques. These days consumers are more supportive of eco-friendly products and vigilant about any products that harm Mother Nature. Keep yourself informed about the dramatic changes in your industry and continuously improve your products or services offered.
Being complacent. Success is a double-edged sword. Earnings tend to be larger but there exists an inclination to loosen up and build up some sort of ego. Some branding experts say it’s hard to be number 1 but it’s harder to keep that spot. Competitors will strive harder to bring you down and I guarantee you they will do everything to make your brand fail as quickly as possible.
Brand Hyperextension. Everything has a limit and we must learn to embrace this dictum. Then again, a number of brands basically desire to dominate the entire planet so they exploit entirely new and unrelated categories. Such bold moves lead to depletion of resources and increase in competition. Great companies including Campbell’s, McDonalds, Coca-Cola, Ford, Virgin, and Bayer suffered failure and losses due to brand overextension. Focus is the key.
Too much branding. In some cases, we’re guilty of too much branding that leads to confusion and miscommunication. We get way too paranoid and over persistent to develop our brand image. Some entrepreneurs are guilty of constantly changing their logo design and ads or making too much unnecessary product improvements. Much like any kind of flower, branding requires some time and nurturing in order to bloom.
As the maxim goes experience is the best teacher but I beg to differ. I would rather benefit from downfalls of others so I will not have to bear any kind of deficits. I hope by reading this article it will help you build a better brand too.
Posts Tagged ‘Brands’
Why Even Powerful Brands Flop
Monday, June 7th, 2010Designer Baby Clothes – 3 Hot Brands For Your Kids To Flaunt!
Thursday, June 3rd, 2010Fashion is a saga that we all sing all through our lives, that is when we are in a position to understand the changing trends. When it comes to the new-borns & toddlers, it is their parents who play the key role buy spending a fortune on the kiddy’s one-time wear.
Even though they know that the child would outgrow each & every attire within weeks, those who can afford never miss a chance to detail fashion through their li’l one. The fashion designers understand this market need & demand, and hence design special kids clothing lines every year, in fact every season.
While these designer options may cost a fortune, the up-market brands like Christian Dior & Kimora Lee along with several other top fashion houses design & manufacture a flawless range of kid wear enlisting bibs, body suits, booties, softened bonnets, redefining beauty.
As compared, the kids’ clothing at Kmart is far more economical yet charming.
Some of the key brands to mention in the up-market fashion context among kids are as follows:
1. Baby Dior
a. Baby Dior is a sub-line of the well known brand Christian Dior.
b. Another sub brand of Christian Dior for kids is Dubbed Baby Dior. This range includes items such as the charming 100% Cotton baby body suit embellished with pink / blue snaps and the teddy bear logo on the front.
c. This baby body suit costs you around $ 55 from the site – www.eluxury.com.
d. This website is good enough for the parents who are on the search for attractive kids items.
e. They may also check out the $ 115 Baby Dior’s hooded towels on this site.
2. Baby Phat
a. The founder of Def Jam Records and the Rap Pioneer, Russell Simmons innovated a unique way to add the zing thing in the nursery.
b. In order to promote his men’s hip-hop style line of clothing called as the Phat Farm Line, Simmons designed various small t-shirts, all of which had a print on them that read ‘Baby Phat’.
c. Further, these t-shirts were dressed up by the female celebrities & models, hence, they managed to garner a lot of attention.
d. Then he launched the ‘Baby Phat’ range of kids clothing. Simmons wife Kimora Lee was the Creative Director.
e. Till date, Baby Phat produces clothing for young girls, right from their infancy to the teenage. The prices of these tees vary from $ 11 to $ 18.
f. You can also look for some matching outfits that cost you from $ 34 to $ 42.
3. Anne Geddes
a. Anne Geddes, the famous photographer has made her maiden entry in the world of kids clothing.
b. Just like her photography, that is the babies wearing dresses of the bumble bees, sunflowers, ladybugs, rosebuds, etc., Geddes has now launched her brand that is called Annegeddesbaby.
c. This clothing line features attire for you babies to look like the one from Anne Geddes’ photographs; that implies that you would be able to dress your kids & the new-borns like a ladybugs, bumble bees, sunflowers, rosebuds, etc.
d. For this you would have to shell out a whooping price, for instance, Ladybug Jacket – $ 39.50, Rosebud Quilt – $ 29.50, Bunny Suit along with the Hat & Booties Set – $ 69.50.
While the concept of designer baby clothes seems very futile as well know that the child would outgrow the expensive dress in just one or merely two wearings, the parents who do not want to spend this sort of money can totally relax. The dresses that the kids would outgrow today, would reach the shelves of the nearest Salvation Army and / or the Goodwill stores soon, with an intriguing price tag of $ 1.50.
Re-Defining New Families: Segments, Stats, Brands, Facts
Thursday, May 20th, 2010Look out Leave-It-To-Beaver, there is a new wave of pet acupuncturists, homeless college grads and extended roommates changing the traditional family dynamic. This New Family rationalizes treating their pets better than their children (“Of course we give our puppy acupuncture. It makes little Snuggles feel relaxed and rejuvenated!”), asks if they can have their old room back (“Mom. Dad. I know you turned my old room into a study, but can you turn it back because I need a place to stay for a while?”) and are returning to dorm life with communal apartments. Multi-Gen Roomates, Extended Companions and Pet-Centrics are the segments changing the way we view the traditional family in the 21st Century.
Defining Characteristics
Multi-Gen Roomates Multi-Gen Roomates are trading in their queen for a twin bed. Just one of the many sacrifices of returning to mom and dads’ to reduce the high cost of living. They are Boomerang Kids, or late 20s to 30s individuals that need to bide some time by living at moms’ and dads’ until they can get back on their feet. The G.I Generation (parents of Baby Boomers) are also making the same migration to their children’s homes. As the economic slump has depleted their retirement funds, the G.I. Generation find themselves in the same position as their grandchildren.
Key Facts:
Brand Profile: Netflix, Wal-Mart
Extended Companions Extended Companions are not willing to bite the bullet and move back in with mom and dad. Instead, they are pooling funds to get a place with their friends. While most Extended Companions envisioned a white picket fence in their near future, they are faced with the harsh reality that financially they just can’t afford it. For the meantime, they can bunk with their friends until they can get back on their feet.
Key Facts
Brand Profile: IKEA, Craig’s List
Pet-Centrics Dogs and cats are the brothers and sisters or sons and daughters of Pet-Centrics. The seek companionship in animals. Pet-Centrics are typically older couples or singles that put pets on an impossibly high pedestal, sometimes higher than their own children…
To read more about psychographics, go to Sparxoo, a digital marketing, branding and business development blog.
