Despite the foreign language, do you recognize this brand?
Now that I am living in China, I have to go shopping for food, cleaners and the other necessary things in order to live here comfortably. Some products I have needed to ponder over the characters to understand what it is and yet I recognize other brands from the USA. For things I don’t recognize, I have to start from the beginning. Try different brands and see if I like them. Other times, I will watch what the locals choose or I ask. These kind people rarely steer me wrong. (If they do, it is due to the poor quality of my Chinese and broken phrasing.) This has made me think about how important brands and their names are.
Brands are often linked in our minds with a known quality, price or memory. Some brands are so well known, their name represents that product. Think of Band-Aid™, or Jello™. I rarely hear someone say bandages or gelatin. I always hear Band-Aid™ or Jello™. Can you think of any others?
Come join me in a little exercise of understanding brands and our recognition of those brands.
Think about your shopping habits. Are there certain items you will pay more for because you value the brand? Do you buy multiple items because you like that brand and don’t want it to disappear?
Do you buy certain brands of jeans? Shoes? Cleaners? Cereals? Ingredients for your products?
Why do you prefer certain brands? Quality? Customer Service? Quantity? Price? Which one is the top preference for you?
Now, let’s take your perspective about your shopping habits and consider those questions as a business owner (even a potential owner). How do you plan on creating your brand name? What will your brand name represent? Where is your niche in the market? What words will be your key words in marketing? What do you want your brand name to be synonymous with?
Being in China has taught me that brands are important, but good products carry good brands. What do you think? I want to know!
I lived in Hong Kong in ’68-’70 and again in ’88-’89, so I know exactly what you’re talking about, Taylor. The neat thing is, I quickly learned to use “local” favorites which often surpassed American brands… especially laundry soap. To this day I can’t get clothes as white as the clothes I washed in cold water (the machine didn’t have a hot water option) with the local brand.
When it comes to branding for business, packaging is very important to success, IMO. A case in point… there was a young woman on Shark Tank who pitched her soap, “You Smell”. Awesome packaging! It was the result of her final exam in graphic design. Long story short, she got a deal with one of the sharks and now has her soap in stores all across the country… and she doesn’t even make the soap herself! She has it manufactured for her — it’s the packaging that caught the sharks eyes. Google “You Smell” to see what I mean.
Learning the local favorites is an absolute must! I must admit, laundry is a very different task compared to what it used to be. I do miss blankets fresh from the dryer in the middle of winter though. I love nothing more than cuddling into a warm blanket that was just dried. 🙂
I think it is amazing how there are so many things that make a brand. Part is staying with a consistent image. When all time favorite brands change logo or disappear, it is hard to accept the loss of those iconic images. Think Hostess or even when Walmart changed their logo. It takes some getting used to as a consumer.
Brands are huge with me. I finally figured out that paying more for paper towels makes a huge difference with the quality. The same goes for shoes. I’m perfectly fine paying more for a good pair of shoes that will last me several years or more instead of cheap shoes that will make my feet hurt and barely last a year. There are definitely things I don’t pay top dollar for, but sometimes it makes a world of difference!
Consistent branding is such an important part of a product. I’d love to have my soap to the point that people recognize it upon looking at the logo. Maybe one day.
I used to be a brands snob, not so much anymore, some stuff still have to have my brand fav. Since moving to TN from WI, I have noticed that there are some things we cannot find down here, my husband’s favorite brand of ketchup, the variety of groceries that we had up north, I have not found down here. But there are items down here that I have never heard of before, like Goody’s Powders, I am still not brave enough to try it for a headache.
As far as branding for myself and my soaps, I have a name, but have thought of changing it to one word, almost like “LUSH” has done, but still have not come up with one word that would convey my ideas and my quality of soaps and lotions, still working on that one, then I would have more confidence in labeling (and more room on the label). I want it to be simple, and natural, I don’t like the packaging of something like “Dr. Brohner’s” soaps, but then again, to each his own.
Some brand name items are very important… i.e. Toilet paper, paper towels. Other times I just go with what is on sale.
As Andee says, Brand is more than a product. It represents the totality or company image, product, price, function, market position.
Every business owner must pay attention to the brand we intend to build. Even a one person firm that makes jewelry can establish a brand and following that supports a good life.
Branding involves selecting an appropriate brand name, specifying a market and getting your product to that market. Make sure that your product solves a problem or creates a perceived need for that market. Paying close attention to these factors will allow your brand and business to grow.
As Cee mentioned, “You Smell” put a real problem in front of the consumer – along with a solution to that problem. That’s a perfect way to build a brand and company.
Agree with Sharee, some brands are more important to me than others. I buy both store brands and Big Name brand food products. There are some products I don’t want changed such as make up. Please don’t change that color!