Know-How Exchange : Branding

Good afternoon, Hans. I would like to start by sharing some of my experiences here in the Netherlands where businessmen want to sell their wares, but have little interest in whom they're selling to. I'm English and it took me some time to really grasp the effect of this.

In your context, I would like to ask you how much time your CMO to the considerations of who is actually buying the vehicles. On the part of the dealers who - if I may put it crudely - are only interested in offloading stuff. Yes, you have quality products all of which have a name on them. After all, the point of this kind of branding is to create awareness, isn't it?

So I have a few questions for you: with whom do you wish to create this awareness? Is it with people who haven't ever bought a car - or is it a reminder to those who are about to replace their car after the usual three years or so. You will know the old adage "it's easier to sell to someone who's bought than not" and it's as true with cars as it is with shoes or peppermints.

Now I may seem unfair and rather unbecoming here - only believe me, it worries me deeply that businesses across N. Europe have little or no concern for the people they're selling to. In my experience, this is especially true of Germany. My point is that focusing on who you are selling to usually resolves a good number of problems such as yours.

So let's consider that you have a smart tiepin: who would be most likely to want to wear one, and why? Why would a high ranking businessman go to the lengths to obtain one? In short: who values these things? If there is one truism, it is that you cannot measure value - all you can say is that the person buying your wares values them more than the money they give you. That value is such an ethereal and unicorn-like phenomenon means that it is very easy to overlook, very difficult to establish sensible data with. That does not mean it does not exist, because it is the very thing that is at the food of your branding: demonstrating the quality of your products to those who value them.

I say this because when you're selling something as a commodity, the only thing to choose is its price. The person selling can easily establish this through a careful look at their accounts. That they go no further means that profits are continually eroded. Were they to dip their toe in the water and see the effect of discovering what their customers actually valued, they'd be able to sell them cars without having to continually discount the things. Sure, there's competition - only believe me when I say that a car brand has a loyal following. I have only ever possessed one vehicle that was not made by VW, and that was an Opel. I would not drive a non-German car, and that brand loyalty is something that you would put aside at great expense to your profits. You would be wasting your time selling me a Peugeot, you would stand a chance with a Volvo. Their quality speaks to me.

Can you begin to see my drift? Who are you trying to convince to buy your products? Who are you aiming this advertising at, and why? Why should they take any notice, if you're trying to sell Volvo tiepins to a die-hard Citroen fan? Establishing real sales through branding requires these things to be considered, that is to say, if your branding is to be made effective.

My apologies if this is forward and extreme. However, the world of business is one where complacency is punished severely. Not by me, by the public - and by companies who are not complacent.

Some links:
https://www.ppai.org/press/ppai-study-confirms-effectiveness-of-promotional...
https://www.promotionalproductswork.org/introduction/case-studies
https://www.asicentral.com/casestudies.aspx

And give them a reason to wear the promotional products: special discounts (when you bring your vehicle in for servicing), entrance to special events, etc.

Neat stuff, Jay. Only remember they'll want to wear your promotional stuff if they're already interested ... they'll only want a vehicle serviced that they've bought, be seen with people who like the product too if they themselves like it. The issue is still "who are these people" and how can you get them to put their hands up and say "me!"? How are you going to find them in a database that's crammed with wannabes and serial non-purchasers?

As I mentioned, the problem I see in Europe is that businesses still want to sell to those who don't want to buy - hence the above problem. Coaxing these people with cheaper prices has been the death of no few companies.

brandchannel.com is always a good place to find information such as you have requested ..

https://tinyurl.com/lmgnacg

Always have your target customer in mind before embarking on branding efforts. Learn as much as you can about them...who they wear, what magazines they read and websites they visit, their income, where they shop, what cars they drive... Yes, strange as it sounds, you must become obsessed with these people!

Once you have your branding strategy in place, your merchandising will serve to reinforce the brand message.