How many of you have encountered clients who admire brands such as Coke, Nike, McDonald's, Gillette, Gap or Kellogg - the real icons in the world of marketing?
Probably most of you, since there's much to admire and much to learn from. But how many times have you also encountered a client who wants to completely emulate a notable brand, to replicate its unique formula for success and create its own brand in that same image?
The answer is also probably plenty of times.
It seems that as brands continue to serve as the all-encompassing focal point for integrated marketing efforts and the crucial magnet for customer-driven success, brand envy has risen to new and sometimes alarming heights. (The American Heritage Dictionary defines the word envy as "a feeling of discontent and resentment aroused by and in conjunction with desire for the possessions or qualities of another." In marcom, that word seems to be the underlying current of so much effort and analysis.)
From my own experiences and observations and those shared by a wide-range of colleagues in the various marketing communications disciplines, it seems that brand envy is not only commonplace today - it's the telltale symptom of an ailing brand in clear need of well-diagnosed, highly customized, creative and consistent help.
In short, it's the undeniable sign of a brand in search of an identity of its own.
The challenge is often compounded when brand envy has become so strong and so apparent that the company's ability to look critically and neutrally at the brand and its strengths or weaknesses is compromised.
In other words, the desire to become reshaped in the likeness of (or leveraging the success factors) of another brand have become overwhelming. And they can color both the capability to self-assess or self-actualize into an individually unique brand and resulting brand proposition.
So, what do you do? How can you help and what role can PR play in helping a client not only develop and communicate its brand image but also contribute to the brand's perceived value?
First - remember that integration is essential.
No single marketing discipline can do it all. But by joining together in a unified team of marketing communications experts, working to unlock the puzzle, each will be able to add a dimension of understanding about the brand and contribute to a plan for success.
Second - rely on research: it must form the foundation for all planning activities going forward:
- There must be a collective commitment to revealing the existing realities about the brand, what it stands for, how it performs, what benefits are motivating to consumers, how it is perceived by a wide-range of stakeholders and what its current and hoped-for value propositions are.
- There must also be an assessment of how these findings stack up against the competition - and against the envied brand.
- There must be a process for retaining what is uniquely ownable by that brand and identifying the platform upon which it can become truly differentiated in the marketplace and within the hearts and minds of customers.
Next, utilize zero-based planning. Start with a clean slate and take all of the facts, findings and learnings on their own merits, looking at which marketing communication activities will have the greatest potential to deliver in the strategic equation you've developed.
Remember, too, that the client is motivated by a desire to succeed and is open to knowledge, counsel, ideas and approaches that will optimize success. After all, isn't that the underlying basis for brand envy - to achieve similar levels of success and recognition.
And last, know that PR can be a powerful contributor to this entire process and to delivering brand value.
Perceived brand value, after all, encompasses everything a company or brand does or doesn't do, says or doesn't say. It's the net sum of all stakeholder support that exists surrounding both the company and the brand.
Under this scenario, strategic message delivery and building high-value stakeholder relationships take center stage. And PR is uniquely qualified to achieve both.
Branding A Brand
First - remember that integration is essential. No single marketing discipline can do it all.
Second - rely on research: it must form the foundation for all planning activities going forward.
Last - utilize zero-based planning. Start with a clean slate and take all of the facts, findings and learnings on their own merits, looking at which marketing communication activities will have the greatest potential to deliver in the strategic equation you've developed.