“In communication, as in brand architecture, less is more. You have to sharpen your message to cut into the mind. You have to jettison the ambiguities, simplify the message, and then simplify it some more if you want to make a long-lasting impression.” – Al Ries and Jack Trout
There are whispers in the wind that the next recession is on the way. Recessions usually require brand planners to learn on the fly to keep their value proposition alive. All the assumptions of business as usual need reassessing.
Distance is an interesting concept in brand positioning terms. How closely you look to cluster with others and how determined you are to remain some distance away depends on your strategy and what you stand to gain from getting up-close.
To become a “category of one” brand is the holy grail of branding. What does it mean to become a “category of one” brand? It means that no other brand is even in the same category as your brand. Your brand has created a new category – one that matters to people.
Not all brand campaigns are created equal. Some have the power to deepen relationships and broaden the access point for your brand. From 1986 – 1996 I held the position of Director of Marketing Insights & Planning for Nike, Inc. These were the years where marketing and brand planning as internal disciplines were being defined for the first time. Reflecting back there are five things I learned in helping to bring the Just Do It (JDI)...
