What is brand marketing? Why is everyone talking about it?

When someone says that you are really good at convincing people to do your bidding, it is usually said to make you feel bad about yourself. People tend to look down upon such people because they are not good at conveying their thoughts that clearly. So instead of feeling low, if you can sell any idea of yours; you should feel proud because it means that you are good at brand marketing. And that is one hell of a quality you can have as it can be implied in any and all parts of your life. This holds especially true in the world of business. Usually, when we hear the word marketing we subconsciously associate it with the corporate world.

But what does it mean or include and how does it work? These are the questions a lot of people have. So if you are also one of them, then go ahead and read forward where I will try to answer them one by one.

What is Brand Marketing?

Peter Drucker, father of business consulting and the first generation marketing Godfather made a very useful observation that has been lost over time. “Because the purpose of business is to create a customer, the business enterprise has two--and only two--basic functions: marketing and innovation. Marketing and innovation produce results; all the rest are costs. Marketing is the distinguishing, unique function of the business.”

But still to this date, when anyone examines the reason behind a failing business it is the absence of these two basic components of a business. And the cause of this is, most people do not understand what it entails.

Most people think that marketing is only about letting the public know about your products/ services. And though the sentiment is right here, it’s not the correct way to go about it. Because trust me, no one cares if you have launched a new product. Instead, what people care about are the problems they are facing in life and if someone can give them a quick fix or a long-term solution for them. This is exactly how marketing works as well.

Seth Godin is like the Swami of Marketing or also known as the New Generation Godfather of Marketing. His definition clearly states how it all works: “Marketing is the generous act of helping someone solve a problem. Their problem. Marketing helps others become who they seek to become”.

He goes even a step further to differentiate between good and bad marketing. According to him, bad marketing is the one that creates the hype and tries to make customers do the things you want them to do rather than listening to what they want. He explains good marketing with such simple words: “The other kind of marketing, the effective kind, is about understanding our customer’s world view and desires so we can connect with them”

But why is brand marketing important?

It is a confusion that many individuals of the society face. The question “why”. And if you are one of them then it is good that you are asking this. Because it means that you are invested in growing your brand. If you understand the importance of something, you are much more likely to take the necessary steps to attain it. So let me list them down for you:

Small attention span

When you are a business owner, you wish that you gain as many new customers as possible and for them to stay with you for the long term. But unfortunately, the attention span of the general population is extremely low. A study conducted by Microsoft concluded that it is only 8 seconds in recent years. So you only have seconds to gain the interest of your probable customers. And here is where good brand marketing comes into play. If you can catch their eye, and connect with them on an emotional level within seconds then you are more likely to convert and retain them.

This has led to more audio-visual type adverts rather than just visual. People are likely to retain 95% of information from video while only 10% from reading. So if you take an example of two people interested in selling their fitness services. One of them makes video content of his session and uploads them along with advertisements while the other only does posters, who is more likely to gain more clients? The first person. That is because he can create interest as well as authenticity to them via videos.

Connection is important

Catering to the emotions of your consumers is a good way to create hype, but not the only way. A lot of brands are shifting their agenda from playing on emotional grounds to social responsibilities. According to a Havas Report, more than 60 percent of consumers in India care about the social impact of products, the effect of the product on society and then select the brands based on them. Many of them wish for their favourite brands to play a significant role in society. And as a result, the brands have started divulging into social experiments and charity organizations. This means that if you can understand what your consumers want from you in the terms of not just product but, also how your brand affects the world around them; they are more likely to choose you in comparison to your competitors.

For example, if you are a new brand of chewing gum, then connecting with them on an emotional level is kind of out of question. Instead, if you can assure them, that your company donates a certain amount of money generated from sales to children education and make it the center of your brand marketing plan, then you are more likely to make sales versus your competitors who are only focused on selling the product and not the idea.

A product becomes a brand

Now when you start a company, you either have a product or service to sell. This is something that is created by you. But a brand for a company is like reputation is for a person. Something that is going to be affected by the perception of people surrounding you and your company. People are always going to judge anything that is presented to them including your product. So if you do not give them a description of who you are and what you and your company stand for then, they’ll create their narration for it to understand you better. Now, this can be similar to what you want to convey but it can also be farthest from it. So it’s much better to not risk it by letting people decide. Storytelling is one of the best qualities any marketer can have. Because if your story is strong and bonds with the people, there is a higher probability of the customers remembering you and turning towards you when in need. Having not just a brand but a meaningful brand image can help you find your footing in this fast pace world where companies are fighting tooth and nail to grab the best possible position.

E-commerce driven world puts everyone on the same playing ground

With all the marketplaces cropping up every day, the playing field has become a little even. Of course, there will always be some difference between the years' old giants and a few months old new brands. But still, the search that the consumers conduct on these platforms is more generic without the use of brand names. Also, the layout for all sale pages is the same. So if you can manage to display your products with the best possible information and photos, you have a higher chance of getting the buyer interested. Though some may not buy the product immediately, they will remember your brand name. It has been observed that people tend to remember the brand names more from such searches in comparison to the T.V. advertisements and billboards. So having good and consistent content across all social media and marketplaces can help you in achieving the dream success.

But does it work?

I understand the dilemma of thinking what if we put in all the effort to create the hype and then it doesn’t work. This thought is what stops a lot of people from investing time, effort, and money into the different marketing strategies. So let me give you a very basic mantra by which you can decide if you will succeed or not.

Is it a good brand marketing plan? Does your product or service deliver what you promised? If yes, then yes it will work. It may take some time, after all, “Rome was not built in a day.” But it will be fruitful.

For example, “LolaVie” a haircare brand launched by Jennifer Aniston was recently launched on September 8, 2021. Before this everything was kept quiet and under the covers. The very first time any hints given were done by Jennifer herself on her Instagram account saying something is coming while tagging a new account. This was done a week before the launch. All her fans tried to find out what the announcement was, but all they could see was a countdown with the tagline “Naturally You” on the Instagram page as well as on the official site. Over the week, some behind the scene photos were posted, but still, everything was kept hush. Finally, the brand was launched with a single plant-based product on all platforms. This type of marketing strategy created a very positive curiosity among the public and had them waiting eagerly for the big reveal. Now the reason why the brand will succeed is that they already have a large audience and the founder herself is known for her previous work in the skin and haircare industry. So this gives them a great advantage.

Such marketing, where you have not only caught the attention of your target population but also have a product that can back up all the claims that you put out, is what makes a strategy successful.

On the other hand, the Coca-Cola Company had launched a great blunder that became a carbonated disaster 30 years ago. After being in constant competition with their rivals “Pepsi”, Coca-Cola had launched a different and sweeter formula called “New Coke”. This was done after thorough testing. It was also launched on a large scale with a great marketing plan that checked all the boxes and yet the product was unable to find its place in the market. This led to the relaunch of the original formula within three months itself. They were both being sold side by side, but the product was finally discontinued in 2002. The reason behind this is believed to be the too sweet taste of the new product. Despite people preferring the sweeter taste in the large-scale testing, it was found that a large amount of consumption led to a little too sweetness which made it undesirable. And this was the cause of their failure.

So it doesn’t matter how good your marketing is, if the product is not able to carry the weight of hype, then the plan is sure to fail.

Who is brand marketing for?

1. People who have the patience, dedication, and discipline to wait for the long-term results. You have to give your plan the time to do its magic.
2. People who have a larger vision. If you see yourself growing over the period and want to be successful, then marketing is not an option but a necessity for you.
3. People who have a flexible mindset. You may have a great marketing plan at the start, but you may need to tweak it according to the feedback from your customers. So if you are ready to re-evaluate yourself and grow, then marketing can do wonders for you.

Who is brand marketing not for?

1. People who do not wish to invest in intangible things like strategy, communication, support, technology. They form the basis of any marketing plan.
2. People who are only looking for short-term profits. If you do not see yourself working for a long time on the same project, brand marketing may not be of benefit to you.
3. People who only want maximum margins. Marketing will take money investment along with time and effort.
4. People who do not wish to build 1:1 connection with customers. This is the core of branding. If this doesn’t work for you, staying away from marketing may be better for you.

I know this seems like too much, but don’t worry you don’t have to do it all alone. You can ask a professional to help you with the plan as well as the execution.