Uncovering what makes great brands great

People identify with brand in many different ways. For some brand is about reputation, or purpose, or the ethos that drives their business. For others it is simply a tool for selling, a snappy tagline. Men in vans applying vinyl to windows claim to be branding your business.

Even sports commentators refer to the All Blacks as having a specific brand of play

And when journalists speak of big business behaving in a particular way they refer to them as brands.

What connects all of these together? Meaning. Meaning derived through behaviour.

Meaning is what all brands strive for and meaning is how we navigate the world. We are sentient beings; we perceive, reason and think. And is doing so we distil down to simple associations. If you want to develop a sustainable brand, understanding this is essential.

Here are 4 examples:

1.     Cheap, on time

2.     Safety & reliability

3.     Adrenalin fuelled

4.     One of your mates

Establishing associations is what is referred to as ‘positioning’. You position associations in the mind of the consumer. The cynical approach would be to think you can do this with a big advertising budget, which helps let’s face it, but it is through consistent behaviour that sustainable brand associations are established, not advertising.

Have you worked out the brands behind the positioning associations above? The first is Ryanair, a brand that sure divides people, but who have over time and consistent behaviour established a positioning that has made them the largest European airline. The second is Volvo. The last two might be more challenging because they do not specifically communicate these words in their communications. Rather they are impressions gained through behaviour. Three is Red Bull, you will no doubt know their tagline ‘Red Bull gives you wings’. Four is Paddy Power.

So how do brands achieve such positioning associations? For every brand the process may be different but for all the fundamental principles are the same: Know yourself and be true to yourself. Know your customer and be true to your customer.

Paddy Power have always been a challenger brand. This is in their DNA; being mischievous, disruptive, daring. This is as true today, even though they are now a global player merged with Betfair and parented by Flutter. How do they manage this, it seems so natural? Well it might be easy to assume that these are a bunch of ‘lads’ having a bit of ‘craic’ but according to Michelle Spillane their Marketing & Brand Director  ‘It takes a lot of planning and consideration to be this casual’. The Paddy Power brand is governed by 4 brand pillars. ‘One of your mates’ is the one they ‘lean into most’ according to Michelle. However every casual expression is carefully judged to ensure that they are always on brand. They are sharp witted, another pillar, qualified as never slapstick, always well observed. Being daring, yes another pillar, underpins everything.

It is so important that brands establish foundation principles that guide their behaviour, especially when faced with adversity. Right now stadiums are closed, horses are stabled and dogs kennelled. Not optimum for a betting brand for sure but two factors change all that for Paddy Power. The first is their 4^th pillar ‘on the ball’ always being tuned on to current events and always ‘keeping the lights on’ as a brand. The second is a recognition that betting is not what they do; they are in the business of entertainment, so much so that in this time of crisis, have turned their attention to the provision of socially relevant content to maintain their connection with their audiences; which has them more connected now that ever.

I have never put a bet on in my life but I would bet on this. Paddy Power will come out of the current crisis stronger. Because they know themselves, are true to themselves, know their audience and are true to them.

There are similarities with Red Bull who are now a global media company who happens to sell drinks. A visit to the Red Bull website and you are presented with a sleek selection of autoplay trailers for shows and videos on sports like mountain biking, BASE jumping, motocross and cliff diving. This is not new though. This has been part of the Red Bull DNA since the beginning 1987. In 1998 the set out to create “the toughest team contest under the sun” From this the Dolomitenmann was conceived: the race which has spawned a thousand hardman legends. Giving people wings and ideas is the operational mantra that is connected to their origin DNA and keeps them relevant today.

So coming back to the original point, that brand means different things to different people and what connects all of those perspectives together is meaning. Meaning which drives behaviour, determines relationships and is reinforced through communication. This is true whether you are a provider of a product or a service, whether you are a small business or a global brand. Central to this is to establish foundation principles that guide behaviour. Principles that are human, founded in meaning and true to who you are. Paddy Power are founded in a challenger mindset and guided by their four pillars. Red Bull are true to their DNA and live by their operational mantra. Every brand to its own unique rhythm but the foundation is the same. Meaning.

BEWARE OF THE POSITIONING TRAP

Brand positioning and marketing positioning are important elements of a differentiation strategy which savvy businesses actively deploy for competitive advantage. The big problem and the trap is confusion between the two. Volumes have been written on positioning, I have consumed my fair share. A lot of it adds to the confusion.

Two points of view, from two highly respected minds in the field, have helped me to put some context to the confusion.

The first from Simon Sinek, who takes it to the simplest level – I like simple. Brand is the WHY according to Simon and product is the WHAT. He cites Apple as a perfect example of this in action. Apple exists to ‘Think Different’, an ethos which enriches every product offering with the value of innovation and a disrespect for complacency. Because of this ethos, Apple is able to successfully extend their offering across computing, music, watches and beyond.

At a brand level, Apple is defined by their ethos. This positions them amongst their peers and indeed above their peers. At a product level Apple has a number of positioning attributes; the what. Beautiful design, simplicity, accessible user interface, unique technology and features. Oh and premium price. These are all influenced and protected through their ethos; their why.

So when we encounter Apple as a brand we are subject to both brand positioning: the ethos of Think Different, and marketing positioning: the unique product features and benefits compared and contrasted against the competition. It is a double whammy positioning strategy. 

The second point of view comes from Steve Jobs himself, who expresses that ‘marketing is about values’, about ‘being really clear about what we want people to know about Apple’.

Back in 1997, Apple was on the brink of bankruptcy. The Apple brand had suffered from serious neglect and as a result, was losing relevance and vitality. They had fallen into the positioning trap. Steve Jobs set out to address this by changing the conversation from Megabits and Megahertz to who Apple is and what Apple stands for in the world. ‘Think Different’ was born as a powerful brand positioning strategy to bring Apple back into cultural relevance. Over the next decade, this thinking not only revitalised the company, it turned it into one of the most important brands of our time.

‘Think Different’ is not just a slogan though. It reflects a true core value. It is about honouring the people who move the world forward. It reflects a core belief that people with passion can change the world for the better and that people crazy enough to try are likely to be the ones that do.

So coming back to Simon Sinek’s point. Because Apple has a brand and positioning that is founded on why they are not restricted to the what. You know that if Apple has developed something; whatever it is, it will be different, it will disrupt convention AND it will be beautiful, will be intuitive to use, will make you look good for buying it and you will pay more for the privilege.

Don’t be fooled into thinking that if you, like Steve, hire an ad agency and create a slogan you can replicate Apple’s success. Your brand positioning needs to be founded on a fundamental truth about who you are. It has to be a credible extension of the truth. It has to be enduring. ‘Think Different’ was founded on true core values. Values which founded the company but which were betrayed by tactical marketing positioning strategies which commoditised their products and drove Apple to near bankruptcy.

 Short term tactical energy is the enemy of brand value based differentiation. It is the trap that all too many fall into. Sure if you discount Patagonia’s trail running clothing range you will sell more, you may even eat into someone else’s market share but at what cost to the brand, to the core value that allows them to maintain a premium positioning.

When I returned to Ireland in 2006 I was handed the Vodafone account. At that time the market was in its infancy with three players: Vodafone, O2 and Meteor. Vodafone was young and cool, O2 was cold, staid and business-like and Meteor a cheap indigenous prepay brand. Each had their own prefix so when you gave out your number you were branded, literally, by the provider you choose. The market was fixated on switching and ARPU (average revenue per user) was all that they cared about. Bundling and entanglement was the strategy of the day and brand erosion was becoming evident. They we stuck in the positioning trap and were not for turning. O2 then pulled a masterstroke and negotiated an exclusive deal to sell the iPhone. Vodafone panicked and upped their switching ads, discounted phones and widened their offering to tie in a landline deal.

The result. The sale of landlines soared, Vodafone’s brand health tracker hit rock bottom and customers fled. To quote a customer ‘what the f* are they doing selling landlines when O2 have the iPhone? This was a classic case of the absence of higher level brand thinking and values with which to ground marketing positioning. The positioning trap.

 Today more than ever Brand Positioning is an essential component of business strategy. People want to know who you are, what you value, what you stand for in the world and what your aspirations are. Forget about unique selling propositions, forget about features and benefits. Start with why, work your way from there and always look back to your reason for being as a grounding for the way forward.

‘Taste the feeling’, are you feeling it?

Back in March last year Coke announced a radical new ‘One Brand’ strategy to bring all its cola products: Coca-Cola, Diet Coke, Coca-Cola Zero and Coca-Cola Life under the Coca-Cola master brand, dispensing with the individual product marketing strategy previously adopted. With Coca-Cola life only launched in 2013 (this side of the pond in 2014) I can only imagine the internal battle that CMO Marcos de Quinto had on his hands.

The biggest challenge facing Coco Cola is declining consumption and the escalating debate around obesity. Coca-Cola Life is a lower calorie cola, sweetened from stevia leaf extract - a whole new product proposition that would seem to be fit to shoot into the eye of the storm. Instead it went off brand, silently slipped onto our supermarkets and sat rather awkwardly on the shelf.

Coke has not had a great track record of launching new products that in any way deviate from the core product. In the late 80’s they changed the formula and boy did they get that wrong. There was Tab, remember Tab? And Coca-Cola with Lemon, Coke Plus (with vitamins) black cherry vanilla even. Oh, anyone remember Dasani, their attempt at bottled water? Purified South London water, marketed in the US as ‘bottled spunk’? Yeah.

Somehow I cannot help but think that the lessons of history are not lost on Marcos and now he is now feeling pretty good about himself. According to Marketing Week Initial figures suggest the One Brand strategy has had a positive effect on sales in the UK. Bobby Brittain, the brand’s CMO for the UK and Ireland cited Nielsen data showing that during the 52 weeks ending 25 December, Coke as a trademark grew in the UK. Sales of Diet Coke and Coke Zero also increased, but not surprisingly, Coke Life was the only variant to see a decline in sales. I cannot but help feeling that their heart was not in it. A green can, really?

Without a doubt the brand is Coca-Cola and the rest are just variants, so building the master brand makes sense. Coca-Cola as a brand is loved the world over, however the challenge for Marcos is to manage core Coke product associations, which are founded on the signature product which is unhealthy and synonymous with sugar. Additionally, consumer trends moving away from carbonated drinks.

So now we have a new global campaign, ‘Taste the feeling’.

“Taste the Feeling” will bring to life the idea that drinking a Coca-Cola – any Coca-Cola – is a simple pleasure that makes everyday moments more special. While Coke’s award-winning “Open Happiness” campaign leaned heavily on what the brand stands for over the last seven years, “Taste the Feeling” will feature universal storytelling with the product at the heart to reflect both the functional and emotional aspects of the Coca-Cola experience.

I do not drink coke, never have - but even I have an affinity for the brand and really hope that they can manage to stay connected to their brand core, which is about making simple everyday moments special, whilst evolving core product associations into a more positive space.  

Samsung, puts meaning at the core to take a bite out of Apple

We have long been an Apple house, ever since I got my first Mac. Complete devotees. However, a shift has happened over that past few years; Samsung is gaining resonance and I have to admit, I feel less resistant, liking it in fact. It somehow feels right. Why is that?

The conversation used to be about the differences between the iPhone and the Galaxy or the Galaxy tab and the iPad, but perceptions have moved beyond functionality and beauty – the reality is that the gap has closed, they are both delivering top class products. Perceptions and positioning therefor have shifted from product attributes to brand attributes and in that regard Samsung have themselves match fit and Apple, (in my view) are declining in resonance, as a result of fielding think different at product level only.

Samsung, in 2001, put emphasis on design and set up their design management centre, reporting to the CEO. This was not dissimilar to Apple, but they adopted a more holistic approach to design. This approach was centred on meaningful design, a philosophy formalised in 2011 with Design 3.0 “make it meaningful”. This philosophy focuses Samsung on the service level in its products, on using their products to make daily lives more meaningful.

In 2014, in the face of a major copycat lawsuit (set to resume in 2016), Samsung launched a new site that championed “make it meaningful” and highlighted original design thinking and explained how it had the power to change our lives. And how are they doing that?  On September 3^rd, at the IFA trade show in Berlin, they announced the introduction of their “Smart Things” hub, which will let consumers monitor and control their homes from anywhere. They are also working on building a “digital health ecosystem” through the likes of “Sleep Sense”, which connects with devices such as TVs, air conditioners or lights to create the best sleep conditions and track and analyse sleep patterns. And as the Rugby World Cup approaches they launch the Samsung School of Rugby to (with a dose of humor) demystify the game for a lot of us who love it but do not really understand it. These are just a few of the initiatives underpinning their service and solutions positioning.

These, are new initiatives, which put flesh to my growing sense that Samsung are becoming more relevant to my life. “Make it meaningful” is adding a deeply humanistic component to a brand that I might have previously considered to be more tech driven – transforming Samsung from a product based business to a much more human service and solutions based business. This focus on positioning, which is hard coded into the Samsung brand operating system, is taking hold and could cause problems for Apple.

 As for Apple - it is not that their products do not have resonance, they do. It is just the fact that they have taken their eye off the ball at brand level and have become less relevant. I do not know what they stand for any more. Believe me, I still have a deep connection with the Apple that won my heart way back, but as their “think different” light fades, I might just let a “make it meaningful” light in.

What’s in a name?

Fever Tree. Conjures up all sorts of images. That is the thing about naming. Every name will evoke a primal response; you will make some, possibly unconscious, associations just on the name alone. If a name is communicated without context those associations could damage a brands potential for positive development. In contrast though, a name that challenges at the primal level, delivered with context can create mystery, intrigue and build a foundation for positive development. Fever Tree is a very good example if this.

Founders Charles Rolls and Tim Warrillow saw an opportunity in a category dominated by one player and a one-dimensional view of mixers. They spent 18 months developing their Tonic Water focusing on the highest quality natural ingredients: ginger from the Ivory Coast, India and Nigeria and lemons from Mount Etna, Sicily. In moving the proposition of mixers from a cheap commodity, preserved with sodium benzoate or similar and laced with equally cheap aromatics and artificial sweeteners, they completely redefined the category. Fever Tree mixers now command a premium price with a portfolio of 12 premium mixers in 52 Global markets.

What of the name? They could easily have gone with Rolls & Warrillow, which would have been a safe choice for a premium mixer brand. But that would have been obvious, wouldn’t it? And unremarkable.

 When I first encountered Fever Tree, the tension in the name disrupted my perception of what a mixer brand should be and left me intrigued as to its origin. My primal instinct of intrigue along with the context of mixers had me hooked. I had to dig deeper.

Fever tree is the colloquial name for the Cinchona tree in which quinine, with fever reducing properties and key ingredient for tonic, is found. Clever. Clever, not just because of the intrigue but because it provides a neat segway to their brand-positioning story. 

The highest quality quinine is sourced from the Rwanda Congo border and blended with spring water and eight botanical flavours, including rare ingredients such as marigold extracts and a bitter orange from Tanzania. Crucially, no artificial sweeteners, preservatives or flavourings are added.

So the next time you are engaged in naming. Consider the value of the primal properties of the name. Consider how that works with the brand context and how the name can provide a Segway to the brand-positioning story.