Thursday, August 30, 2007

BE GENUINE

We don't think that you, the reader, would think of yourself as being someone who is "artificial." Would you? It is less than flattering to refer to someone as artificial. It would imply that s/he is not real but, instead, what we would call a "phony." We certainly wouldn't entertain, or want, to think of ourselves in that way. Yet, often our behavior when providing feedback, particularly to agency personnel, manifests itself as something less than real.


The Dispatch for August 26, 2007 can be found here:

BeGenuine8-26-07.pdf (PDF File)

Sunday, August 19, 2007

THE COMPETITIVE FRAMEWORK - A REFRESHER (PART 2)

Two weeks ago, we began a review of that often overlooked part of a Brand Positioning Statement—the Competitive Framework, In that DISPATCHES we looked at the positioning value of looking at the CF as more than a brand’s competitive set. In this installment we look at some times when marketers might want to consciously communicate a brand's Literal Competitive Framework in advertising.



The Dispatch for August 19, 2007 can be found here:

CompetitiveFramework-Refresher-Part2.pdf (PDF File)

Sunday, August 12, 2007

RELATIVE AND MEANINGFUL DIFFERENTIATION

We strive for "successful" messaging in our marketing communications. Successful means two things. One, it's connecting with (potential) customers. Two, it's achieving a specific behavior needed to drive brand sales. A key to enjoying success is to offer a message that is relevant to the target. That's the connection part. But it is not enough to merely be relevant.


The Dispatch for August 12, 2007 can be found here:

RelevantAndMeaningfullyDifferentiated.pdf (PDF File)

Sunday, August 05, 2007

THE COMPETITIVE FRAMEWORK - A REFRESHER (PART 1)

As we continue to work week after week with clients (across many industries) on their Brand Positioning development, we still find that there is one positioning element many do not fully understand or appreciate: The Competitive Framework. And, as a matter of fact, we continue to gain new perspectives on this amazingly powerful brand-building element. So we thought this would be a good time to begin refreshing ourselves on the "basics" of the CF, as well as sharing some of our newer perspectives. We'll do these things over the course of this and 2-3 other Dispatches to come. And we'll save our usual Boats & Helicopters until the very end.



The Dispatch for August 5, 2007 can be found here:

CompetititveFramework-ARefresherI.pdf (PDF File)