Proper Product Branding

Something I really enjoy is evaluating the various marketing tactics of companies. I observe and pick apart the workings of the campaign. Naturally I fall upon some interesting tactics that disregard common sense. For instance, on one occasion I was traveling down the aisles of a sporting goods shop when I noticed, in the kayaking corner, a sight that I will never forget�

It was� now brace yourself� a Bic� kayak. Standing out as noticeably as possible was the Bic� logo� you know, the tiny ball headed guy holding a pen� proudly displayed on top of the boat (or is that "yak." Are kayaks really boats?).

I later found out that Bic� Sport was started around 1979 as a surf board company striving to create a low cost brand. When 1997 came around they had manufactured 1 million surf boards. I don't know about you, but I didn't know that many people surfed.

Bic� Sport has a stylish website that is solely dedicated to water sport equipment. The brand apparently means "economic quality." Raise your hand if you thought Bic� meant "cheap pens."

Nearly all reports of big businesses (on the subject of branding) illustrate that your brand has the most success if it only represents a solitary meaning. I tend to have faith in this statement and have seen this principle work within my own companies. But we should understand some fundamental myths concerning branding.

Myth one. The brand has to symbolize one product only. Your brand meaning ought to be focused in terms of its meaning, yet broad enough to be placed on a variety of products that can raise the sales volume of your business. For example, if Tide� meant, "It gets the dirt out when nothing else can." Then you could make Tide� vacuums and cleaning equipment and chemicals. Tide� is one of the most successful brands of laundry detergent. They have kept the brand name pure and focused on cleaning clothes. Businesses like Proctor and Gamble and Johnson and Johnson release a number of single product brands, which is a method I like.

Myth two. The whole world understands what your brand means. In fact, the markets of the world are vastly fragmented. Every niche is a society within itself with its own publications, opinion leaders, and trade associations. Since our lives are so high paced and demands on our time have become so intense, individuals are really choosy when deciding what to give their attention to. In most cases, each community is fairly ignorant of the other communities. Think about the rodeo cowboy community vs. the football player community. Or, even more clearly, the ranch cowboy community verses the rodeo cowboy community. The end result� a single brand name could have many different meanings in different communities.

I would not recommend distorting your brand name meanings. I promote having your brand have an extremely focused meaning that can encompass a large variety of products. Think Martha Stewart. Then consider branding your individual products under your larger brand name. Think General Mills� and Coco Puffs�.

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Rod Alan Richardson is dedicated to teaching people to succeed in free enterprise through Business Training Training. He also offers a free Leadership Training Newsletter.