Consumer don’t believe most of the claims products make. We are used to seeing marketing spin.
Recall the last advertisement you saw. Do you believe whatever the brand claims or tries to imply in the ad?
How do we convince consumers of the claims we make?
The brand that can claim to be the first or the real thing puts itself ahead of the competition. The other brands become imitations. The most famous example being Coca-Cola.
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Having credibility
When a brand has the right credentials, consumers are more likely to believe what the brand says. How do we know if a brand has the right credibility?
Would you walk into the most popular Italian restaurant in the neighbourhood to order sushi or ramen? Of course not. The Italian restaurant’s credibility comes from it being popular for Italian food. It has no credentials when it comes to Japanese dishes.
Being the leader in the category gives the brand credibility. If your brand is unable to be the leader in the category, narrow the scope and be the leader in a niche category.
Mistake #1: Trying to do everything
We often see brands making the mistake of trying to do everything. If the product does everything, it is very hard for consumers to remember the brand for something.
People don’t go to KFC for burgers, even though KFC sells burger. KFC focuses on fried chicken. They have their credentials in making good fried chicken. They also happen to serve burgers for people who want to.
Mistake #2: Just listing the benefits
Many brands just go through a list of meaningless benefits. The brand is cheaper, better, faster, more efficient, smaller or bigger, lighter, more durable. These might interest some potential customers, they need to be backed up for the claims to be credible. Otherwise, it would just be what the brand says.
Claims built upon the brand’s credibility hold more weight. When brands are the market leaders, they have the credentials to make claims in their niche.
Mistake #3: Holding on to customers
Of course, there are some users who are more adventurous and would consider a brand that isn’t the leading brand. A mistake we see is brands trying to hold onto these customers.
They are a small group and we can’t appeal to everyone. If this group is valuable in leading the rest of the market, then it might make sense to come up with products that cater to these sophisticated consumers. However, that is secondary. A brand’s priority is still to be the leader of their target niche.
Grow your brand power
Being credible gives a brand power, and being the market leader in the product’s category gives the brand the credentials. Consumers will regard the leading brand as having the knowledge, expertise, and authority.
Explore ways to make your brand a market leader if it isn’t already one.
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