Feb 21 in Branding
Written by: Heather Rast
seek to delight a finite group of target customers deemed to be a perfect match for the brand’s offering. The very definition of success means the brand doesn’t try to be all things to all people; doing so would dilute its message, claiming a flexible position in an anxious attempt to snag some short-term sales. The result is to further fragment an already fractured market. No wonder some consumers apply the broad stroke “they’re all the same” and fail to recognize what the brand is all about. They’ve been thrown off the brand trail by confusing markers, and some paths may seem too implausable to risk continuing on.
Instead, the successful brand sacrifices the reluctant or uncommitted customers – letting them fall by the wayside – for the depth of emotion and lifetime value others may provide. These ‘other’ customers are focused and fortified. They want to take the journey with the brand and rise to the summit together. The issue is not so much whether the brand satisfies all needs or desires, but rather the degree and manner in which it meets the target customers’ core sensitivities.
An example for me would be Land’s End. I’ve shopped with the company for nearly 15 years. I don’t care for all of their styles. I couldn’t do 90% of my total shopping with them. But I firmly believe they’re committed to quality and the complete satisfaction of their customers. They don’t stray into fads too much, I know what to expect from them. Their service is impeccable, and I can nearly guarantee a friendly, helpful representative if I ever had to phone them. I know I may have to pay a little more (maybe even a lot more) when I need to buy a coat than I would if I bought it from somewhere else. But in the long run, it’s worth it to me. No worries about what happens if I discover a defect later or a zipper breaks. Their brand *is* quality (from catalog to call center), and they’ve let me on their trail quite nicely over the years.
What brand do you think is dead on, start to summit?
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