Know-How Exchange : Branding

The first step is to understand your primary target audience better than anyone else. What are their needs/wants? What products do they like (and why)? What products do they dislike (and why)? What needs do they have that are not being fulfilled today? How do they make this purchase decision? Where do they typically learn about new products in this category? What questions would they have about a new product?

You can start with qualitative research -- one-on-one interviews, focus groups, etc. -- then follow up with a quantitative study. Don't be afraid to spend some money to get this done properly, as it's critically important to the whole project.

As for using the web, it depends on where your target audience gets its information. I'm guessing it isn't the web, but I don't really know that ... partly because I don't know who your target audience is.

Start at the beginning -- by understanding your consumer and your distribution channel. Once you have done that, the rest of your marketing and business plans will fall into place.

hi david

what kind of leather products you are actully having? so many things can be made of leather. then again, first identify the following for your brand.....

1. The target consumers and segment.
2. the unmet needs of the consumers.
3. the competitors in the target segment/market.
4. What is your Product's Unique Selling Proposition (USP).
5. what is your products' Value Proposition.
6. How does your brand fulfill the unmet/latent need of the target consumers.
7. what is price compared to the competiting brands?
8. how your brand will be distributed. will you use distributors and retailers. in that case what will be the margin for distributors and retailers.
9. the comparative margin for distributors and retailers of your brand against competition.
10. what kind of promotional strategy you are contemplating against competitors promotional strategy.

hope this helps. the more information you provide us the better we can help you.

cheers!!

oops!! how could i miss it !!

do prepare a product positioning of your brand against the competitions. talk to the target consumers, better if you do a survey to identify the needs and competitors in your target segment. then develop a Perceptual Map of the existing brands and place your brand in the map. see where its positioned in the PM and then you can come up with the strategy and actions needed to achieve your objuective.

cheers!!