As we all know, brand positioning is the central factor in the success of a company, as it defines its perma-nence in the market in which it’s in! Branding goes hand in hand with this factor, a concept that reinforces the corporate identity.
A brand’s positioning is directly related to the thoughts, opinions and decisions that each consumer associ-ates with a brand, however, most decisions made are usually not 100% logical. The unconscious has a lot of impact when it comes to decision making!
It is also related to the perception that the consumer has about a company, the expectation created in rela-tion to a certain purchase and the consumption experience that comes from it! Although this process has internal factors that influence the results, each company manages to change some requirements in order to achieve its audience’s satisfaction.
About positioning and brand awareness…
There are cases of brands in which a particular product is highly recognised, however, its positioning is inexistent. Therefore, the difference between positioning and brand awareness is clear and evident. Posi-tioning is a broad concept, related to many factors, such as sales, a company’s in particular markets, the frequent or infrequent use of a product or service, relating to its evaluation by consumers and also the over-all strength and leadership of the company. With regard to the concept of brand awareness, it relates to the level of knowledge that the public has about a company, which is just the tip of the iceberg on a brand’s positioning!
Now you know… don’t just invest in promoting your brand, position it also through organic methodologies and practices!
“How can I strategically and effectively position my brand?”
– Discover your audience’s needs and preferences: in order to position yourself within your niche, you need to recognise your consumers’ wants and needs! Surveys, interviews and specific groups are traditional strategies that allow you to achieve this type of knowledge, and not only do they help you improve consum-er experience, but they also become relevant data sources that allow you to optimise your business pro-cesses.
– Analyse the competition: conduct rigorous, exhaustive and solid research on your competition’s digital presence, identifying its “movements” and what is the perception that the audiences have about them! This factor allows you to get a clear picture about market opportunities and about moves that might be consid-ered inconvenient, and helps to identify actions to take in order to differentiate, stand out and fill gaps.
– Connect through values: to promote your brand’s positioning you must understand that the traditional con-cept of quality and pricing are no longer enough to put a brand on top! Your brand needs to connect through your consumers’ values, thoughts, opinions and perceptions.
– Reinforce the differentiating qualities: a really well positioned brand differs from others in that it is authen-tic, having a unique and characteristic voice! It is through elements such as humanisation, values and knowledge of the competition that companies create the differentiation they are looking for.
Mental triggers!
By being present in the corporate and digital world, we understand that marketing and sales rigorously study consumer behaviour. This is because companies need to understand what, in fact, leads consumers to buy a particular product or service and how the decision-making process happens, in order to create effective approaches. This is where neuromarketing comes in! This allows you to generate knowledge about the tastes, preferences, desires and needs of consumers, investigating the unconscious process in a more relevant way.
Considering the importance that neuromarketing adds, in general, to this unconscious purchase process, the marketing and sales areas resort to mental triggers that are more common in our culture than we really realise, such as the art of persuasion! For instance, we’ve all been “victims” of the exclusivity trigger, who doesn’t enjoy feeling special about having access to something exclusive? The intention is to provide posi-tive experiences, without associating your brand with negative feelings or thoughts! It is through this inten-tion that your company can optimise its strategies, create proximity in the relationships with its audience and… sell faster!
What do we have to say to you about consumer perception?
As you know, the consumer’s perception is, without a doubt, the decisive factor for the implementation of a branding, marketing and sales strategy of any company with the mission of reaching the consumer in a more effective way. This is a process that works both in the lead’s first contact with the company, as well as in the constant and recurring sales process! From the consumers’ first positive perception of a company, product or service, it is possible to continue this process by transforming leads into recurring customers, then into loyal customers, and finally into brand promoters!
The truth is that any circumstance or situation can affect the consumer’s perception and these elements can be tangible or intangible to the brand. From the way a product is positioned on the shelves, the colours that are used on their e-commerce, the security and speed of a company’s website, they are all tangible elements that can be optimised at any time to ensure a better consumer experience and consequently… a better perception! In terms of the precise moment when the customer interacts with your brand, this is a relatively important factor in boosting purchase and positive perception, but it is something intangible, that means the company has no control over this factor.
On the other hand, people tend to make decisions based on the recommendations and guidelines of other people, whether they are acquaintances, family members or influencers, as they feel some kind of admira-tion and confidence in them. Digital influencers work with this perception all the time: they buy, test and then inform their audience about their experience when using a certain product or service. Good reviews, most of the time, create a positive perception in the consumer’s mind, while negative reviews interfere in the entire decision and sales process. Social networks are always a great bet, as they are a good environ-ment to create and manage customer perception, given that the audience will build their perception of a product based on comments and recommendations left by others who are also using the same product!
Regardless of your market segment and your brand awareness, it is necessary to constantly and recurrent-ly drive strategies and adopt philosophies that connect your company to your consumers. So when it comes to positioning… keep your eyes peeled and keep your foot on the gas pedal!
Brandtellers is a digital marketing specialist and Google Partner. Contact us and find out what we can do for your brand.
