Branding as a Business Strategy
This week, I am recommending a branding article that’s of significant importance to Playing to Win and Leading to Win strategy. The author is Roger Martin, my colleague and co-author of Playing to Win: How Strategy Really Works and several HBR articles.
Click on the image to view the PDF.
A brand is a promise; a promise that answers the question: Why should a consumer purchase and use your product or service instead of the other available competitive choices?
A brand may promise a better or different product or service performance, quality and/or value... or maybe even promise a better customer experience.. The brand may also work to appeal to emotional, psychological and/or social expectations, needs and wants. A way to set a business apart from its competitors is to build trust by following through with promises made to customers.
No matter the brand or the way it chooses to communicate and market, ultimately the customer is looking for the promise made to be a promise kept. Promises that are made and kept over and over again build credibility, confidence and trust in a brand. Those kept promises become the brand’s trust mark.
