We’ve had a lot of recent questions coming into our support staff about how to brand websites and company images online. To simplify this idea, it is easy to look at other big names brands for the best answers and advice for making a brand name successful.
When looking at how to position one’s brand, there are 5 essential levels to individually assess. Once the position is selected it may be somewhat difficult to move out of your brand’s position, so please read closely:
Position Number One: The Market Leader
The market leader is the top of the food chain. This level of business has the most quality and well known products out there, and an example might me something like Coca-Cola. Coke’s brand has the highest level of market share and is the most well known brand in the soft drink industry. If you enter this level of recognition, make sure that you have a superior product and a company that can be the absolute best it its class.
Position Number Two: The Runner Up
The second place spot is the second favorite/alternate brand that competes with the market leader. Branding is most important here, as the brand will be riding the waves of the market leader at all times, and will remain in constant, head to head competition. An example of this spot is (in comparison to the Coke example above) Pepsi.
If you are entering an already competitive, internet market place, your brand (like Pepsi) needs to have a similar product with a slightly different brand message. As long as your product’s quality is as good as the leader, you can remain in a good second place position behind the trendsetter in position number one.
Position Number Three: The Alternate
If first comes Coke, then Pepsi… What is an alternate to these two leading brands? Arguably, RC Cola might be considered the alternate soft drink leader… This is questionable, but RC has some great things going for its brand. RC offers something different, but does not need to compete head to head with the Market Leader and Runner Up. It’s hard to market something not as good as “the real thing” but remaining close to 2nd place is still an impressive feat, especially in the soda niche.
Being an alternate, especially in the online market place, is going to take some strong branding and promotion. Offer a deal, and stray the consumer away from the leading brand names.
Position Number Four: The Boutique
The fourth position is definitely our favorite and the one that allows for the most creativity. Boutique status market share screams quality, authenticity, and an almost ‘rare’ element to the branding equation. Don’t float the mainstream! Make a unique take on already existing, quality trend.
Jones Soda is an example of a boutique brand because they are different. The logo, and brand image is not even close to that of Coke, Pepsi, and RC; and they are hoping that their customers are looking for something different and cool.
Boutiques need to pick an angle in order to be different, and this could be anything from down to earth, rustic, better ingredients, or maybe a local spin on an already generalized product concept. ie. Cola…
When branding your website, if you can’t make for second place, go for a unique boutique version. The key here is to deliver quality to a unique consumer base!
Position Number Five: The New Category Leader (NCL)
Aside from the boutique, the NCL is a favorite of ours in a whole new ballgame. A product in this category would be something like Red Bull. Consumers looking for new beverage can opt for a Red Bull because it’s sort of like a soft drink but comes equipped with some other features making it different from Cola altogether.
The strategy here is to disrupt the category all together and ultimately come out on top as the new market leader of a new category. In this position, your brand has gone full circle and off into a new realm.
HC Consulting Group specializes in creating NCL-esque software applications that enable clients of ours to capitalize big time, with big trends on the internet. Let us know if you have an idea for an NCL (New Category Leader) and we will provide the best online assistance for your start up or existing web business.
Using key online tools, along with the help from a strategy expert, HC Consultants can take your online brand into the future with excellence.
HC Consulting Group
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