Know-How Exchange : Branding

Lack of research

Inappropriate targeting

Poor Graphics

Mis-stating products' actual capabilities

...just to name a few!

Want some example cases? Go to some of the largest retail outlets in your area and look at the "Clearance" items. Also, shop around in in store advertising "Going out of business Sale" or the like. The answers will become very apparent.

Although not ALL "clearance" items are failures (some are just overstock), many will scream the answers you seek merely by observation.

Good Luck!

Amber, I have to confess that my own company is a great case study in unsuccessful positioning.

Our first product launch focused on solving the wrong problem! Our web tools made environmental compliance reporting (ugh) easier. Our target customers smiled politely, said things like "How nice!" and never used our service.

Now we focus on making data collection easier from remote field locations. Our target customers are saying "Wow, we can use our cell phones for this?!" and are using it every day.

The irony: When we ask customers why our service is important to them, they tell us it makes environmental compliance reporting easier, for one thing.

Maybe the next responder to your question can articulate the moral to this story, but I like to think of our positioning mistake in these terms: We had the tail wagging the dog.

Makes sense in Texas, not necessarily Germany. ;)

- Shelley