Question

Topic: Taglines/Names

Tagline Improvements

Posted by Anonymous on 11/23/2007 at 4:40 PM ET 500 Points
I had released a previous question which wasn't as clear as I had liked, but I did get some useful feedback which has allowed me to re-apply the question with some more detail.

Xiris is a machine vision company that has worked in a niche market for several years. We are not repositioning the company to step into some different verticals. Their current tag line is Inspection Solutions with Vision. We are therefore wanting to improve upon this for brand identity and differentiation.

Xiris Core Values:

Customer Intimacy
Excellence in Customer Service
Quality and Integrity in all that we do
Social Responsibility
Value Innovation

Core Ideologies:

We are committed to understanding the core manufacturing problems which adversely impact quality and efficiency in our target markets.

We are committed to standardization of solutions, processes and best practices. In turn the methods will return value innovation to our customers, clear purpose and direction for our employees and shareholder equity.

Machine Vision Market levels:

1-GPMV - general purpose machine vision (hardware and software library providers)-global players, rarely get involved in the application development exercise

2-ASMV - application specific machine vision (turnkey product solutions but repeatable) - mix of global and regional.

3-CAMV- customer application machine vision (each project is an engineered solution) regional players.

The four common barriers to the use of MV are:

-ease of use
-reliability & robustness
-risk
-cost

Competitive:

In the ASMV area, players have an array of product solutions but spend a lot of time chasing one market after the next.

Competitive Advantage is derived from:

-hardware engineering - value innovation.
-application knowledge and ownership
-application specific software

Xiris has strategically focused on 1 market segment only which has enabled us to build competitive advantage through the points above. We are now going to repeat the process in another market segment.

Positioning Statement:

We will provide repeatable, reliable vision technology to deliver improved asset utilization, economic value and workforce effectiveness. We achieve this by understanding our target market quality issues, and iteratively delivering value innovative standardized application specific solutions that work.
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RESPONSES

  • Posted by mgoodman on 11/23/2007 at 6:22 PM Accepted
    We need to spend some time on your positioning statement. There are a few problems that make it less effective than it could (and should) be.

    First, "improved asset utilization, economic value and workforce effectiveness" sounds like three benefits, not one. And "economic value" sounds like a price thing, not a positioning benefit.

    Perhaps more important, there is nothing in here that makes you stand out from the rest of the world. This is a description of what you do, not of how you are different from or better than competition, or why someone might want to buy your product/service.

    I'd urge that you dig deeper for a benefit that's unique and meaningful for your target audience. Try a statement that includes one of the following words/thoughts: "FIRST, BEST, or ONLY."

    We have worked in both the precision measuring and non-destructive testing areas -- both distant cousins of machine vision. The market, as you know, is very narrow and the needs very specific. If you can develop a demonstration of your core technology, you may be able to position yourselves around the "magic" that makes it all work.

    That can be very effective in a case where the benefit isn't truly unique. Even then, though, it would be good if you can have an explicit benefit as part of the positioning, with the unique technology as the reason-why.

    Hope this helps. If you want to talk in more detail about positioning, contact me via private email.

    P.S. There is an appendix in Rasputin For Hire that contains notes on Positioning that might be helpful. There's also a MarketingProfs seminar on the subject that contains a lot of that material. Click on the links above to see if you think those might help too.
  • Posted by Frank Hurtte on 11/23/2007 at 8:02 PM Accepted
    Pierre,
    I like the way you have framed this.. and i have been watching closely to see the perspective provided by members of the board who are looking at the industry from the outside-in might provide.

    To address your request for a sharpened tag line..
    I still believe Reliability should be part of the message.

    The Value of Innovation with the Guarantee of Customer Commitment
    or
    The Vision of Innovation tempered w/ the Integrity of Commitment

    Let's do chat about the power of integrated-solution distributors....
  • Posted by NovaHammer on 11/23/2007 at 8:10 PM Member
    Micro Views - Macro Results.

    Good Luck.
  • Posted by SteveByrneMarketing on 11/23/2007 at 8:57 PM Accepted
    Goodman gave you excellent input on your positioning statement. Here's a link to an article on positioning and branding. Also, check out: "Positioning, The Battle for your Mind" by Al Ries and Jack Trout.

    https://www.marketingprofs.com/ea/res_detail.asp?resid=349

    Hope this helps,

    Steve
  • Posted by Jay Hamilton-Roth on 11/24/2007 at 9:07 AM Member
    We Have An Eye For Quality Control
    We Find Quality Wherever We Look
    Creating World-Class Quality Control Systems
    Modernizing Your Quality Control Transparently
    Optimize Your Manufacturing Process
  • Posted on 11/24/2007 at 12:47 PM Member
    My brain wasn't wanting to digest the volumes or info above, so I tried to simplify from a market standpoint, what would speak better and more quickly to the market and assist in your sales process. Bullet points always help to quickly scan a lot of useful information, but more easily. I came up with:

    Tagline(1): Your Process Visionaries
    Tagline(2): Eyeon Improvment - Optical Process Analyzers
    Tagline(3): WatchDog Optical Solutions in Manufacturing

    We harnass the power of optical surveillance/inspection technologies in the manufacturing process, helping you achieve the financial benefits of:

    - Reduced manufacturing costs
    - Improved quality
    - Reduced personnel costs
    - Reduced waste
    - Early detection of sub-standard quality
    - A competive advantage in the industry
    - A process that doubles as a sales tool

    Just some things to throw out there to add to the thought process.

  • Posted on 11/24/2007 at 12:53 PM Member
    The "techno" talk : everybody uses it.
    The "best value" talk : everybody uses it.
    The "best quality" talk ... you have guessed! These are words you should stay away from.

    It sounds like you want your customers to believe that your product will just work perfectly once installed (or integrated I think you use) and that they will (or should) not have to worry about it because it is so good and reliable.

    I suggest you play around with the notion of the consequences of your customers decision to buy your product. What will the benefits be from that point of view. I very often hear buyers say stuff like "I just want this to work. Period."

    So consider playing on that front. Something like :
    "Worry free solutions."

    My 2 cents...
    Good luck.

    NOTE : If your product is core to your customers operations, this positioning strategy may not work. "Worry free" may not be enough of a relevant promise.

    NOTE2 : my "bad" ad line : "Forget about us!"
  • Posted by Chris Blackman on 11/25/2007 at 7:28 AM Member
    Pierre

    The part I really hate is "and iteratively delivering value innovative standardized application specific solutions that work".

    It sounds like machine-generated jargon. It's gobbledegook.

    Some people may get sucked in by it - "The Emperor's New Clothes" syndrome, but most genuine potential customers will just be baffled.

    What are you really trying to say - in plain English?

    ChrisB
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