As a purveyor of the e-commerce landscape, I often come across NZ brands that are a ‘me-too’ copycats of iconic brands (no prizes for coming second!) accompanied with an absence of attitude or spunk.
So, to the architects and marketers of NZ brands, I have 3 vital questions for you to ponder so your time is spent on ‘differentiated creation’ rather than ‘homogenous conception’.
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Do you know your consumer better than your mother?
You need to be able to describe the personas/target markets that are going use your brand. What are their lifestyles, buying habits, motivations, desires and drivers? Is there enough of them to return a profit? Are they brand switches or raving loyalists? These are the fundamentals of brand creation
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Do you understand the problem you are solving or the lives you’re embellishing?
Without a problem or adding value to someone’s life you have no basis for your product. You can’t develop a sustainable brand and your market messaging will be difficult to craft or believe.
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Are you eating the same lunch as your competitor?
If your competitor has activated ‘first mover advantage’ and taken a big chunk of market share, it is often difficult to get traction with your new brand especially it doesn’t have a strong point of difference/benefit (that your target market cares about) as well as a defining personality and a swagger to boot!
