Branding Strategy Insider helps marketing oriented leaders and professionals like you build strong brands. BSI readers know, we regularly answer questions from marketers everywhere. Today we hear from John, a VP of Marketing in Dallas, Texas who brings us this brand storytelling question…
“We are a global B2B brand and the the market leader in our sector. We have a much smaller brand attacking both us and our offer and using very clever brand messaging to do so. Our response so far has been restrained and very much in keeping with your brand storytelling strategy of redirect, refute, re-position and remind. That hasn’t stopped them. In terms of best practice, when do you feel is the right time for a leader to send a more direct message that draws clear contrasts with the challenger brand offering? I know the inherent risks for giving free mindshare impressions, and generating big guy beating up on little guy perceptions, but keen to hear your thoughts.”
Hi John – thanks for your question. They haven’t given up, and frankly I wouldn’t expect them to because, in reality, they have more to gain from getting your attention than you do from calling attention to the shortcomings in their offer.
You haven’t said what the impact of this activity is having on your sales, and given that they are so much smaller than you, I would be surprised if it was significant at this point. But let’s assume for the moment that at the very least they are playing on your mind, distracting your own people and making their presence felt among your customers and prospects. To your question – how do you address that, without looking like the behemoth?
Start with these four tactics a market leader can use to deflect attacks from challenger brands. In terms of a direct communication initiative, my inclination would be to ‘elevate’ the conversation to the key industry issues where you display provable strengths. I would then call on these fundamental strengths to highlight your contributions and credentials. Think of this in terms of a value proposition like – ‘No other company in our sector can…’ – but make sure that the thing you are best at is the thing that customers really care about. Maintain dignity. Display a little humor. And above all, base everything you respond with around the customer not your brand’s ego.
If you do this well, you will underpin why you are the leader and what people see in you as the leader without adding fuel to the challenger’s bonfire. Because you are a B2B brand, you’re looking to draw attention to the risks (real and implied) of not choosing the trusted incumbent. But don’t just state – allow your audience the opportunity to draw their own conclusions. One of the great benefits of working with a business audience, in terms of what you are looking to achieve, is that they are acutely aware of risk and reputation. Your focus should be on making the strongest possible case to stay with what’s known and proven, not simply responding to the agitator. If you do that in your competitive response you will switch the conversation from the one being had on their terms.
Do you have a question related to branding? Just Ask The Blake Project
The Blake Project Can Help: The Brand Storytelling Workshop
Branding Strategy Insider is a service of The Blake Project: A strategic brand consultancy specializing in Brand Research, Brand Strategy, Brand Licensing and Brand Education
One comment
John
August 24, 2015 at 11:14 am
Thanks for answering my question. I will be watching for additional input from your readers. What is really interesting here is how this started and where it has gone.
Our brand had to make a foundational decision on whether we would sit on the sidelines while one of our competitors positioned around a market need/product benefit that was misleading in nature. We decided to commission an independent lab to get the definitive science around what the truth was. We then went out with that science. We were careful to not attack the competitor, but rather to call attention to the particular claim, and refute it with facts.
When we did that, their social minions were directed to come at us. We continue to try and take the high road here.
The key learning has been the emotional branding element. We have the science and facts on our side, but they have the emotion that was generated from the promise that if the market “takes a pill” their problems will be over. We are saying that while such a “pill” may be possible in the future, our competitor has not provided it here.
Again, thanks for the generous support you have provided here.
Best,
John
Comments are closed.