Marketing Blog

Some brands build such a brand leverage, that they become synonyms for what they are. Some times you hear people call for a brand rather than what the item actually is. This is very hard to achieve, but if achieved, your brand is positioned in a unique way- it becomes a generic term used in everyday conversation, it basically becomes its function.  In all, the product name is adopted into the language, especially in English. Once this happens, it is very hard to compete against a product like this. They will most likely have a significant amount of the market share.    Successful Brands that Become Synonyms for Generic Terms Kleenex : Have you ever heard someone say "pass me a Kleenex" rather than using the word 'tissue'? This is a classic example of how the brand Kleenex is used as its common term. When I was growing up, I thought Kleenex meant tissue, on later on understood it was a brand that produces tissues.       Jaccuzzi: for "Spas/hot tubs...

What’s Brand Positioning?    Positioning is the way customers perceive your product. There are 3 variables that effect your positioning: price, quality and benefits. Before you start your business it is very important to understand how these variables can effect your business in the long-term. You need to research and be aware of what your competitors are offering in your industry. According to numerous studies, the more competitors in an industry, the harder it is gain market share. However, you need to find market gaps. By understanding the price, quality and benefits, thus the values a customer has, then you may be able to find to find niche products to provide.   Think about it. Most people attribute a lower price with lower quality, but the value for that market is the cost.   There are 7 bases you can position yourself in the market: By product attributes: Hyundai Excel ( low price)     By benefits offered: Colgate toothpaste (cavity c...

What are CopyCat Brands?  Copycat brands imitate a brand that is in market, in terms of its appearance and packaging. It takes advantage of the 'original' brands reputation and marketing efforts (Horen & Pieters, 2012). Why Reinvent the Wheel?  When we think about copycat brands we usually associate low quality and cheaper price (ibid, 2012), and in most circumstances it is true. We all know that  Marketing as a discipline is mirrored with Psychology. I find copy -cat brands very interesting, for instance if we truly associated them with low quality, then why are Aldi and Walmart so successful? Well, that's thanks to psychology.  Think about that first time you walked down Aldi supermarket aisle. You saw many brands that were completely unfamiliar to you; but you associated them to brands that are advertised or used in Woolworth and Coles. This relationship is brought to how w...