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Brand Complacency Part 3 - Market Positioning

Gerry Kelly 18th July 2019

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Do a google search on 'Market Positioning and Brand Strategy', and you will see that it's a topic that generates a great deal of debate. That said, can we be sure that this level of interest is echoed in boardroom meetings around the world?

For many companies, the time set aside for discussions on market positioning can be in short supply. So it should come as no surprise that issues related to long-term brand strategy are not usually on the agenda at management meetings.

Unfortunately, when Brand Strategy does appear on the agenda, it's usually because figures from the finance director are showing a worrying decline in revenue. Arguably the worst time to be thinking about your brand because it might be too late.

Most business leaders would agree that market positioning is critical to long-term success. However, a significant amount would also admit that they are usually too busy to discuss this in any meaningful way.

A classic Catch 22 situation.

Recognise the dangers of this complacency and act on them.

Interestingly this can sometimes be most relevant to companies who have enjoyed long-term growth and success.

Large companies can have too much self-belief in the strength of their market and brand positioning. One example is Nokia, which lost 65% of its brand value in 2013 and has long disappeared from Interbrand's Best Global Brands Ranking. Indeed, the brand failed to respond to the rise of smartphones. The list also includes once superstar brands like Blackberry, Kodak and MySpace.

Avoiding complacency is a useful quick fix. By adopting easy-to-implement marketing strategies, you will immediately reverse any pattern of market positioning complacency setting in.

Here are a few things you must keep in mind:


A brand at its core is about trust.

It takes a long time to build and even longer to rebuild. Don't let your brand slip away from the reality of the market and its customers. Be vigilant. No self-congratulation allowed.


Build brand equity based on trust.

Think about Apple and even Starbucks; these brands have competitors with equally superior products. Their brand equity, however, is very high because they connect with their customers in excellent ways.


Always deliver on your brand promise.

If your company doesn't give what customers need, they will turn away to a company that does. It is as simple as that.


Don't underestimate Millennials.

As Millennials become more influential with business decisions, what they regard as dynamic and trustworthy brands may place some of the more established and traditional companies at a disadvantage. A study by Cone Communications found, for example, that 9 out of 10 Millennials would switch brands to support a particular cause and 87% would purchase a product with a social or environmental benefit.

Millennials want to be highly engaged by what they do, and smart leaders should harness their sense of mission or risk losing these employees to more purpose-driven companies.


Make sure that you remain relevant.

Offer a strong sense of purpose and values-driven culture that will attract these employees. This action will help set yourself apart from your competitors.


Support the next generation of business leaders.

Millennials believe businesses are not doing enough to help them fully develop their leadership skills. Supporting Millennials' leadership ambitions will build loyalty and retain talent according to a study from Deloitte.


Encourage mentorship.

Again, according to Deloitte, Millennials who have a mentor appreciate this level of interest in their professional development.


Use social marketing.

As digital marketing through social platforms becomes the norm, B2B companies who ignore this vital area of communications do so at their peril. In the space of around a decade, social media giants such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, Pinterest, and LinkedIn have arrived and are shaping the social media world today.


Be prepared.

Who knows what tomorrow will bring? The digital world evolves fast.

Your marketing team should avoid complacency when it comes to creating success for your brand on social media. Take nothing for granted except that things will change. When companies take success for granted and don't keep up, then failure is a genuine possibility.


Be agile

Adapt your strategies to make use of the following social media marketing trends:

Video content

Influencer marketing

Augmented reality

Evergreen and valuable digital content

Ephemeral content


Embrace automation to release your employees' creativity.

With the rise of SAAS (software as a service) the disciplines of Brand Management and Internal Communications are evolving rapidly. A new survey from CareerBuilder shows that more than 1 in 10 HR managers are already seeing evidence of AI becoming a regular part of HR.

The companies who stand to benefit the most are those that embrace change. By adopting the use of digital platforms to automate company communications, managers can free up time to focus on business performance at a more strategic level.

As an example, they can:

Spend more time connecting with employees and the business.

Help plan for future developments instead of reacting to present issues.

Research new trends to stay ahead of the game.

This improved focus on strategic thinking will result in ongoing business improvement. You will then be able to out-perform competing companies who hold the view that if it's not broken, there's no need to fix it.


Take Action

This last article concludes our three-part series of blogs around brand apathy being a danger for any business. By highlighting these dangers and suggesting some fixes, I hope these have been useful to you and that you can use the fixes to good effect.

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