Volume 5 No. 1: Why forgetting about brand is dangerous

Facing continued economic uncertainty, there’s one route that’s particularly tempting for marketers: cutting back and cutting out. 

Efficiency and performance become buzzwords. Brand-building is easily forgotten.

But there's good reason to wonder if that's really the best option. 

 

   Marketing Myths   

Brand doesn't matter matters more than ever for marketing

Each week, we break down a common misconception around TV advertising.

Just because the conditions around businesses change dramatically over time doesn't mean the elements for lasting success change along with them.

Let’s look at these elements one at a time.

  1. Distinctive assets. That’s your name, colors, sounds, taglines, and anything else directly connected to you and no one else. All of this directly ties to your branding.

  2. Physical availability is about making it convenient for consumers to purchase through strong and diverse distribution channels. Here, a brick-and-mortar retailer has an advantage over ecommerce brands. 

  3. Finally, mental availability. How well are you holding space in your customers’ minds? How likely are they to think of you when interested in a solution like yours? Improving mental availability can be done through advertising that’s intentionally tied to reach and brand-building. 

Together, these elements drive brand fame. Which we know is key to meaningful business impacts. So if you’re cutting back, make sure you don’t totally do away with investing in brand, reach, and staying top-of-mind. Your future self will thank you. 

What's the takeaway? Investing in brand-building is key to achieving long-term business success. Also... TV’s a great way to build your brand while driving short-term sales. Just saying.

 

  Advertising Answers  

Question: What makes TV different from other marketing channels?

We take the web’s most searched questions about TV advertising to a range of marketing experts who can’t help but love TV.

 

Answer:To me, it's the emotional connection. Years ago, I had a client who built a multi-million dollar global consumer products company. He had done a lot of marketing using multiple channels, but we had the privilege of doing his first TV campaign. We went into production, and the shoot went great. A few weeks later, we presented the rough cuts. Once the spot was over, suddenly, he got teary. He said he loved it and then picked up his phone, called his mom, and told her that he finally made it. They were going to be on TV. And that is what makes TV different from any other marketing channel.” 

 

— Ben Fruehauf, VP Creative

 

  Channel Changers  

Read: How Brands Grow

Here we celebrate books, podcasts, videos, and influencers that are actively pushing marketing into the future.

This marketing classic by Byron Sharp evaluates commonly accepted marketing beliefs about brand growth. Conclusions are supported with research from the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute, and Sharp isn’t afraid to make some marketers uncomfortable by challenging how we think about ideas like personalization, segmentation and loyalty.

 

Our favorite insight? Mass marketing works (agreed!), and reach is essential for growth. Making sure you’ve got a unique brand with a valuable offer is important, but your impact is limited by how many people hear about your brand in the first place.   

 

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