Three ways to grow your brand, increase profits and grab market share

Linwood, NJ, May 8, 2007 -- A recent Forrester Research survey of consumers and their opinions on brands came to the following sobering conclusions:

• 67% believe the brands they know don’t keep their promises
• 89% feel no personal connection with the brands they buy
• 47% feel there’s no real difference between competing brands

When consumers feel this way about the product or service you sell, you leave them no choice but to make decisions based on price. 

Yet, the average commuter will drive or walk past a cheaper provider of liquid caffeine to get their daily fix at Starbucks® and pay a premium of as much as 800%! 

How can you become the Starbucks® in your industry segment?  According to Abiah Designs, a brand strategy and full-service marketing firm in Linwood, New Jersey, the answer is simple.  “Provide the three things that consumers are telling you they want,” says Guy Richards, Abiah’s Chief Branding Officer.

Here are Richards’ three tips to grow your brand, increase profits, and grab market share.

Keep your promises
Your advertising makes specific claims about your product.  Does it deliver on those claims 100% of the time?  If you fail to deliver on those claims, will you provide a refund to the customer or otherwise make it right for them?  Without giving them the third degree or treating them as if you think they’re lying?  A customer may give you another chance when you disappoint them, but only until they can find a replacement for what you offer that they’re willing to try.  Find out where your service and quality breakdowns occur and fix them.

Make a personal connection
Humans are social animals.  We respond to people and things that we feel an emotional connection to and that we care about.  Your messages should make it clear why customers should allow you into their lives, why they should form an attachment to you, and why they should remain attached to you. 

Be clear about what makes you different
Why should consumers purchase your solution over the competition?  And don’t say “Because we’re better.”  Better how?  By how much? Why are you better?  How does your “better” offering improve the consumer’s life?  If you’re not clear, your messages won’t be clear and customers won’t be either.  A consumer who’s confused will simply purchase the brand they’re most familiar with every time.  You’ve got to help them justify changing their behavior. 

According to Richards, “The critical element that runs through these three points is the importance of developing a clear understanding of your core target market.  Your ideal customer is not everyone.  Once you can accept that, you can create a three dimensional picture of the audience who most wants your product and who you most want to sell to.”  A company who refuses to clarify their target will continue to present confusing messages and lose sales to competitors.