Branding to win now

The truth in branding is that few actually get it right. A few do, of course. But branding to win now is largely misunderstood. Most believe it’s a description of you and what you offer. You know, great prices, innovation, product benefits. The same brand messages that grow tired and ignored by audiences. Including by you.

Think about the auto insurance industry, for example. It spends billions – with a capital B – on advertising in the US. But what’s really different about them? They all talk about low prices and bundling. Or, if they’re thinking a little bit emotional: “We take care of you.”

Yet, is that any way to create preference? When the same brand messages are used over and over again by everybody? No, because none of them present a true choice. Unless you like Flo or the gecko more than the dude driving down the car signing, “We’re gonna make lots of money.”

There is little differentiation between brands

That’s what you have to understand with just about any category. There’s a fingernail’s difference what most say no matter the industry. Auto commercials all look alike. Fast food brands simply change out their menus like they’re dealing cards at Vegas. Hoping something will stick.

The main problem is that brands think branding is about themselves. But, if you’re branding to win now, your message is about the customer. Not you. It’s not a description of who you are and what you do or what you offer. It’s a self-description of the customer in the context of your brand.

Apple gets it. Its brand position of “Think Different” means Apple customers believe they stand outside the mainstream. (Even though, heh heh, Apple is mainstream now.)

Nike gets it. “Just Do It” means getting things done without all the nonsense. The Nike customer is a winner.

Branding to win now – an example

In the weeks to come, you’ll read more examples of what works and what doesn’t. But let me give you an example from my own experience. I led the team that rebranded ProAssurance, a medical malpractice insurance company languishing behind companies backed by Warren Buffett and other giants.

Competitive analysis showed that those competitors positioned themselves in the same places: We have experience, we don’t settle, and we are experts. It all blended together into a puree so easily that hospitals and doctors simply ignored them all. Like auto insurance, market share in this industry rarely changed.

But research demonstrated what physicians emotionally cared about most: Fairness. Think about this. Doctors live in a world where questions of fairness exist all the time. What’s the right treatment? What do I tell the family? When you live in a world in which a single emotion dominates, you become more sensitive to it.

Branding to win now for ProAssurance meant reflecting that emotion. A complete rebrand produced its “Treated Fairly” brand, which means those ProAssurance medical professionals always do things fairly.

It was a powerful emotional trigger. So much so that, today, ProAssurance, crossed the billion dollar mark in revenue while passing competitors MedPro (owned by Buffett) and other large companies like Coverys and The Doctors Company. Competitors still looking to cross that threshold.

I can help

If your brand is mired in like messaging as your competition, contact me. I can help. It’s what I do. I can consult with your team or lead it. Research is the foundation for all brand messaging, and not all research is actionable. I can make sure you get the right answers you need to develop a compelling and persuasive message. Let me know what you can do.

And, as always, email me at mikev@brandingtowinnow.com and I’ll be happy to discuss how I can help. The discussion will be well worth your time.