The battle of brands is essentially a battle of creativity. In today's market, when a brand is born, it does not merely exist on the display stands or shelves of shopping malls; rather, it must live in the minds of consumers. This is the critical point for a brand.
I. Product Characteristics
1. When a company develops a product or launches a new brand, it must identify some unique traits within the product itself. If a product enters the market without these traits, it will be difficult for it to succeed and become a winner.
2. Do not blindly believe that even ordinary products can soar to become strong brands through the creativity of an advertising agency. This is a somewhat incorrect viewpoint.
3. Brands require systematic management; they are not meant to survive just three to five years in the market but should last 50 or even 100 years.
II. The Process from Product to Brand is Related to Creativity
1. The definition of creativity should not be narrowly confined to advertising creativity.
2. The scope of creativity should include: ① Advertising creativity. ② Packaging ideas. ③ Naming concepts. ④ Promotion strategies. ⑤ Ideas about color (product, packaging, advertisements, etc.).
3. Both introducing a distinctive product into the market and transforming it into a distinctive brand require significant effort to achieve success. In terms of creativity, both aspects of product power must be considered.
4. Consumers recognize a brand through various media, including advertisements, packaging, promotions, public relations, and outdoor advertisements, all of which contribute to the brand image.
5. Packaging is crucial as it defines who you are before the brand is formed.
III. For Brands Already in the Market, Consider Two Aspects of Creativity
1. Does the product itself have good characteristics?
2. What impression does the product leave on consumers? Is it on the display stand or shelf, or is it in the consumer's mind?
IV. Creative Must Achieve "Transfer of Affection" and "Devotion" Effects in Consumers' Minds
1. Advertisements must create a shock when interacting with consumers, stirring up a storm in their thoughts.
2. If consumers see a product's advertisement and feel nothing, it is a waste of resources and funds.
3. Ultimately, many good creative ideas possess more power than competitors because they think one step ahead or act earlier, leaving competitors wondering why they didn't think of it first.
4. Finding an angle that others haven't considered creates opportunities for the brand to survive in the market and occupy a niche.
5. Any brand must have the determination and ambition to permanently occupy a position in the market, whether first or second place, and then manage it systematically.
V. Guiding Principles of Creativity
1. The highest guiding principle of creativity is "strategy," which determines where the brand goes, how long it stays, or if it switches to another battlefield.
2. Through guidance, achieving efficiency quickly on one path is the power of creativity.
3. Creativity involves all aspects of brand marketing-related thinking. Precision in creativity leads to explosive power; otherwise, it cannot yield good results in a short time.
4. Entering the market requires strategy to determine which segment to target and what kind of brand to become.
5. Strategy and creativity are inseparable entities. There is no high wall between them; they are two sides of the same coin and both are very important.
VI. All Marketing Efforts Related to Advertising, Brands, and Products Compete with Time and Timing
1. The development of a product and the launch of a brand are closely related to timing. Good creativity can create an effective and successful brand with minimal resources in the shortest possible time.
2. To evaluate an effective TV advertisement, consider three features:
① Recall: Consumers remember the brand after watching the ad.
② Potential for trial: All advertisements and promotions should make consumers eager to try the product, causing a "transfer of affection."
③ Uniqueness and persuasiveness.
④ Unique selling proposition.
3. Companies and market agents must achieve these three effects. If market research shows that consumers score highly in these three areas, the advertisement is very effective.
VII. Key Points of Creative Appeal Principles
1. Creativity should generate purchasing power or uniqueness. Besides having unique traits, the most important aspect is defining the key message of the advertisement.
2. The key appeal point aims to achieve the marketing goals of the company's product in the advertisement. Each advertising campaign must clearly define its objectives.
3. Defining one appeal point is sufficient to influence consumers to try the product.
4. Many product advertisements have overly complex appeal points due to two main reasons:
① Clients worry about not achieving the desired results and thus feel insecure.
② Advertising agencies lack clear strategic thinking.
5. If unsure, conduct market research to identify shortcomings and use it as a valuable reference.
6. If unable to timely understand what consumers are thinking and fail to keep pace with their rhythm, how can one lead market opportunities and creative business opportunities?
7. The key point is essentially a strategy, but the reasoning must be simple.
8. Conduct three types of surveys for product development:
① Product development survey
② Brand survey
③ Advertising survey
9. Conduct extensive research in various markets and achieve high scores in the above three areas to successfully enter the market.
10. Defining the appeal focus and strategy is crucial for a brand to successfully lead the market.
VIII. Pricing Principles for Products
1. Many brands effectively use price wars in the market, especially in secondary and tertiary distribution markets. However, remember that price is not the sole value of a brand.
2. Becoming a market leader does not mean that price defines brand success. Entering at a low price only provides the opportunity for consumers to recognize the brand for the first time. While low prices may be effective and fast, branding is a long-term marathon and relying solely on price is unsustainable.
3. The key is whether the price provides quality. If the price exceeds the value consumers accept, they will reject it. In fact, the ultimate value of a brand is greater than its price.
4. A brand's personality determines its value, which is the impression it gives to consumers.
5. Different personalities attract different groups of supporters. This is worth considering as the differentiation in brand personality is a critical factor in determining the brand's position in the market.
IX. Four Basic Principles That Successful Brand-Pushing Enterprises Must Follow
1. Consumer-first (never underestimate consumers, as many companies overlook this point. In reality, consumers are the ultimate arbiters and judges of whether advertising efforts to promote a brand are successful).
2. Create superior products. Companies must fully realize that the difference between winning and losing in the market lies in having good products. Differences in product quality lead to differences in the market, which ultimately decide market outcomes. Recognizing this standard allows a company to measure the confidence in promoting a successful enterprise brand.
3. Create unique brands.
4. Look to the future. Spend considerable time researching future products to anticipate consumer needs and develop new products. This tests the company's ability to manage operations systematically.
X. Real Effects of Brands
1. Whether it is a close brand, a tech-heavy brand, or a concern-driven brand, it must have real effects, whether emotional or rational.
2. The brand itself must offer tangible benefits that consumers can touch and feel.
3. To create a lasting brand goal, enterprises should manage brands systematically from the start, with a long-term plan. Many companies fail to achieve this, resulting in fleeting success.
4. Systematic brand management requires continuous collaboration with distributors based on mutual benefit principles. Efforts should be made to create a consistent brand personality to achieve mutual gains for manufacturers and dealers, ultimately reaching the brand marketing goals.
In summary, during the process of systematically managing and promoting a brand, enterprises must respect the market. First, good marketing consultants and advertising partners can create brand assets. Second, establish a long-term dependent relationship between the brand and consumers. Therefore, brands participating in market competition must seize these two points. Since operating a brand requires a good partner, this is very important.