BY SHARLYN.
Ask yourself what is your favorite brand? This is one of my favorite girly topics
to my friends and neighbors at the dinner table, and not surprisingly, I have been
repetitively amazed by the consistency of some brands that my friends consider
as their favorites such as Apple, Samsung, Starbucks, Adidas, Victoria Secret, Louis
Vuitton and many more.
Interestingly,
for some hardcore brand supporters, a favorite brand is no longer just offering
a good quality product. For them, a favorite brand has its story and represents
a character. In some extent, the brand has its power and emotional connections—at
the highest level—that provides its supporters the superhero feel that truly
drives brand loyalty.
The brands that have achieved these qualities, I call them Star Brands!
Star
brands are not born overnight, they are built based on countless powerful
branding strategies, flawless brand tactics, strong positioning and feasibly profitable
business models. Although every brand is unique in its way, I personally still
believe that star brands share some core principles in common.
1. Positioning
Star
brands understand their positions, know who they are. They know their strengths
and weaknesses, and they know how to continue to evolve and expand in short-
and long-term basis. Rock-solid positioning requires deep understanding of target
customer, their demographics as well as their needs and wants; and star brands know
how to market and communicate effectively.
2. Consistency
Star brands are consistent and well-organized in
terms of their communications. They have the ability to accurately differentiate themselves through consistent messages
and brand identity which ultimately help increase brand exposure and
recognition. Studies have revealed that consumers tend to go for the first
brand that they can recall. A brand awareness metric namely “Awareness,
Attitudes, and Usage (AAU)” is a classical framework that relates closely to
what has been called the Hierarchy of Effects. AAU is indeed an assumption that
customers progress through sequential stages from lack of awareness, through
initial purchase of a product, to brand loyalty.
3. Personality
A brand personality is the
ideology and attribution of human personality traits to a brand as a way to
achieve distinctive branding differentiation. People
tend to instinctively support a person or a brand that possesses the same thoughts
and beliefs. Undeniably, star brands
are able to intentionally deliver unique personality with purpose, working beyond
their products or services that they offer.
 |
| Best Global Brands 2014 (Courtesy of UnderConsideration.com) |
4. Relationship
Brand
relationship is just like human relationship. When we first met, we started to
understand and communicate, then we try the products, and later we decide
whether or not to continue the relationship. Star brands are able to develop a close
and long-term relationship with their customers. Star brands treat their
customers as friends, and make great efforts to fulfill their needs and
desires.
5. Promise
Star brands deliver promise—it
is all about distinctive benefits where star brands promise to deliver to their
customers. Don’t
get me wrong, benefits are not limited to be merely functional, but they
can be stylistic, artistic or emotional. Powerful brand promise brilliantly differentiates
star brands—in some extent—it creates sustainable competitive differentiation,
allowing them to be uncontested!
***
About GE Consult
Founded
since 2003, GE Consult has helped numerous local SMEs/SMIs in
developing their company profiles, business plans, business proposals
etc. assisted clients in securing business deals and contracts. If you
are looking for a winning company profile or any professional services,
please do not hesitate to contact us at (+6017) 330 8077 and/or email rachel@geconsult.org for further service explanation.
