For all of you out there, who still believe in the credibility of brand extensions and the validity of its success in the marketplace, here is some more bad news.
Proof, once more, that Brand Extensions work like communism – perfect to preach, pathetic to practice. Put simply, it’s a concept that never works – it never did; it never will!
Two blogs ago I had written about the ‘The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding’. The next blog post – i.e., the recent one - was not a continuation, in the strict sense of the word, and was titled ‘The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing’. Two blogs; yet two completely different topics and content, though the second one looks like an extension of the first.
Note, if you have not already done so, the similarity of the titles. And therein lies the problem – not to me, but to quite a few, who mailed me or called me asking me why I have not yet updated my blog.
Do you realize the problem, their problem that is? They have not seen the second post. But why? Simple. They read my blog ‘The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding’. Subsequently every time they logged back, what did they find? ‘The 22 Immutable Laws of …’ which made them believe they had read it already.
But they hadn’t. They just assumed it was the same as the one they had read earlier. The recent post’s title sounded similar to the previous one and hence ended up confusing them. Just like how brand extension confuses in the marketplace.
One more proof, if I could add in a quirky way, that Brand Extensions don’t work!
Monday, July 28, 2008
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing
There are times when Brand Extensions seem to work. Not in the field of marketing though. But when writing marketing books!
The head of the anti-extension brigade - Ries and Trout – wrote a book ‘The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing’ which was subsequently extended by Ries and his daughter 20 years later as ’The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding’.
If you had enjoyed my previous post – the extended brand ‘The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding’ – you would probably like the original – the mother brand, if you will – ‘The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing’.
Enjoy the extension. Extend the enjoyment!
The Law of Leadership: It’s better to be first than it is to be better. Close Up came first; stays foremost in the tooth gel category, even after some 35-odd years in the running!
The Law of the Category: If you cannot be first in a category, set up a new category you can be first in. Having failed to enter the fairness cream category first, Emami carved a new category out of it to be the first – male fairness creams!
The Law of the Mind: It’s better to be first in the mind than to be the first in the marketplace. Krack was not the first cure for cracked heels though it certainly feels like that.
The Law of Perception: Marketing is a not a battle of products, it’s a battle of perceptions. Samsung, I am told, makes high-end TV’s for Sony. Try telling that to those who think Sony makes the best TV’s in the world!
The Law of Focus: The most powerful concept in marketing is owning a word in the prospect’s mind. Dettol was ‘protection’. Dettol is ‘protection’. Dettol will be ‘protection’. And successful too!
The Law of Exclusivity: Two companies cannot own the same word in the prospect’s mind. Contrary to what many people think, Mercedes and BMW don’t mean the same thing. Mercedes means prestige. BMW means ambition!
The Law of the Ladder: The strategy to use depends on which rung of the ladder you occupy. Clinic Plus is the leader and can try and attempt category expansion. Other brands shouldn’t.
The Law of Duality: In the long run, every market becomes a two-brand race. Proof: Pepsi Vs Coke.
The Law of the Opposite: If you’re shooting for second place, your strategy is determined by the leader. Remember the famous Avis’ ‘We are No. 2; we try harder’ campaign.
The Law of Division: Over time, a category will divide and become two or more categories. Children’s TV channels, for instance, are splintering into English channels (CN, Pogo), Tamil channels (Chutti TV) etc.,
The Law of Perspective: Marketing effects take place over an extended period of time. ATM’s when they were launched failed. But banks persisted and the rest, as they say, is history.
The Law of Line Extension: There is irresistible pressure to extend the equity of the brand. Sunsilk continues to be extended like Draupathi’s saree – without an iota of success, if I may add.
The Law of Sacrifice: You have to give up something in order to get something. Fair & Lovely is the queen of female fairness creams. Fair & Lovely Men’s Active is not going anywhere – except maybe back to Hindustan Unilever factory!
The Law of Attributes: For every attribute, there is an opposite effective attribute. If Coke is old, then Pepsi is young; If ‘The Hindu’s is ‘honest and old-fashioned’, Deccan Chronicle is ‘sleazy and modern’.
The Law of Candour: When you admit a negative, the prospect will give you a positive. Dettol burns and unashamedly admits it. Consumers like that.
The Law of Singularity: In each situation, only one move will produce substantial results.
The Law of Unpredictability: Unless you write your competitors’ plan, you can’t predict the future. Who could have possibly thought a few years ago that the largest manufacturer of cameras in the world would be………….Nokia! Yup, Nokia it is now.
The Law of Success: Success often leads to arrogance, and arrogance to failure.
The Law of Failure: Failure is to be expected and accepted.
The Law of Hype: The situation is often the opposite of the way it appears in the press. Dove shampoo is projected as a runaway success in the marketing pages of business magazines. The story has a different ending in the retail shelves!
The Law of Acceleration: Successful programmes are not built on fads; they are built on trends. Suffola built a brand riding on ‘health’.
The Law of Resources: Without adequate funding, an idea won’t get off the ground. Krd Rys, packed ready-to-eat curd rice, is languishing for want of funds, a receptive market notwithstanding.
The head of the anti-extension brigade - Ries and Trout – wrote a book ‘The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing’ which was subsequently extended by Ries and his daughter 20 years later as ’The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding’.
If you had enjoyed my previous post – the extended brand ‘The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding’ – you would probably like the original – the mother brand, if you will – ‘The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing’.
Enjoy the extension. Extend the enjoyment!
The Law of Leadership: It’s better to be first than it is to be better. Close Up came first; stays foremost in the tooth gel category, even after some 35-odd years in the running!
The Law of the Category: If you cannot be first in a category, set up a new category you can be first in. Having failed to enter the fairness cream category first, Emami carved a new category out of it to be the first – male fairness creams!
The Law of the Mind: It’s better to be first in the mind than to be the first in the marketplace. Krack was not the first cure for cracked heels though it certainly feels like that.
The Law of Perception: Marketing is a not a battle of products, it’s a battle of perceptions. Samsung, I am told, makes high-end TV’s for Sony. Try telling that to those who think Sony makes the best TV’s in the world!
The Law of Focus: The most powerful concept in marketing is owning a word in the prospect’s mind. Dettol was ‘protection’. Dettol is ‘protection’. Dettol will be ‘protection’. And successful too!
The Law of Exclusivity: Two companies cannot own the same word in the prospect’s mind. Contrary to what many people think, Mercedes and BMW don’t mean the same thing. Mercedes means prestige. BMW means ambition!
The Law of the Ladder: The strategy to use depends on which rung of the ladder you occupy. Clinic Plus is the leader and can try and attempt category expansion. Other brands shouldn’t.
The Law of Duality: In the long run, every market becomes a two-brand race. Proof: Pepsi Vs Coke.
The Law of the Opposite: If you’re shooting for second place, your strategy is determined by the leader. Remember the famous Avis’ ‘We are No. 2; we try harder’ campaign.
The Law of Division: Over time, a category will divide and become two or more categories. Children’s TV channels, for instance, are splintering into English channels (CN, Pogo), Tamil channels (Chutti TV) etc.,
The Law of Perspective: Marketing effects take place over an extended period of time. ATM’s when they were launched failed. But banks persisted and the rest, as they say, is history.
The Law of Line Extension: There is irresistible pressure to extend the equity of the brand. Sunsilk continues to be extended like Draupathi’s saree – without an iota of success, if I may add.
The Law of Sacrifice: You have to give up something in order to get something. Fair & Lovely is the queen of female fairness creams. Fair & Lovely Men’s Active is not going anywhere – except maybe back to Hindustan Unilever factory!
The Law of Attributes: For every attribute, there is an opposite effective attribute. If Coke is old, then Pepsi is young; If ‘The Hindu’s is ‘honest and old-fashioned’, Deccan Chronicle is ‘sleazy and modern’.
The Law of Candour: When you admit a negative, the prospect will give you a positive. Dettol burns and unashamedly admits it. Consumers like that.
The Law of Singularity: In each situation, only one move will produce substantial results.
The Law of Unpredictability: Unless you write your competitors’ plan, you can’t predict the future. Who could have possibly thought a few years ago that the largest manufacturer of cameras in the world would be………….Nokia! Yup, Nokia it is now.
The Law of Success: Success often leads to arrogance, and arrogance to failure.
The Law of Failure: Failure is to be expected and accepted.
The Law of Hype: The situation is often the opposite of the way it appears in the press. Dove shampoo is projected as a runaway success in the marketing pages of business magazines. The story has a different ending in the retail shelves!
The Law of Acceleration: Successful programmes are not built on fads; they are built on trends. Suffola built a brand riding on ‘health’.
The Law of Resources: Without adequate funding, an idea won’t get off the ground. Krd Rys, packed ready-to-eat curd rice, is languishing for want of funds, a receptive market notwithstanding.
Wednesday, July 02, 2008
The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding
I just finished reading a fascinating book – The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding. Authored by Al Ries and Laura Ries.
Written in typical ‘Al Ries’ breezy style, the book summarizes the fundamentals of branding. 22 of them to be specific. Most of the laws given in the book are basic, rudimentary and so fundamental that you know most of them – and forgotten many of them too!
Which is why when you read all of them again - in one go, with lots of examples – you realize how much they make sense and how simple Branding actually is.
22 laws might sound a tad too many but the book is worth giving a try. Here are the 22 laws – with a brief description of each one of them. If it interests you enough, you would go and read the entire book. If not, you still would have got the gist of the book – thanks to this blog!
1. The Law of Expansion: The power of a brand is inversely proportional to its scope.
2. The Law of Contraction: A brand becomes stronger when you narrow its focus.
3. The Law of Publicity: The birth of a brand is achieved with publicity, not advertising.
4. The Law of Advertising: Once born, a brand needs advertising to stay healthy.
5. The Law of the Word: A brand should strive to own a word in the mind of the consumer.
6. The Law of Credentials: The crucial ingredient in the success of any brand is its claim to authenticity.
7. The Law of Quality: Quality is important, but brands are not built by quality alone.
8. The Law of the Category: A leading brand should promote the category, not the brand.
9. The Law of the Name: In the long run a brand is nothing more than a name.
10. The Law of Extensions: The easiest way to destroy a brand is to put its name on everything.
11. The Law of Fellowship: In order to build the category, a brand should welcome other brands.
12. The Law of the Generic: One of the fastest routes to failure is giving a brand a generic name.
13. The Law of the Company: Brands are brands. Companies are companies. There is a difference.
14. The Law of Sub-brands: What branding builds, sub-branding can destroy.
15. The Law of Siblings: There is a time and a place to launch a second brand.
16. The Law of Shape: A brand’s logotype should be designed to fit the eyes. Both eyes.
17. The Law of Colour: A brand should use a colour that is the opposite of its major competitor’s.
18. The Law of Borders: There are no barriers to global branding. A brand should know no borders.
19. The Law of Consistency: A brand is not built overnight. Success is measured in decades, not years.
20. The Law of Change: Brands can be changed, but only infrequently and only very carefully.
21. The Law of Morality: No brand will live forever. Euthanasia is often the best solution.
22. The Law of Singularity: The most important aspect of a brand is its single-mindedness.
Written in typical ‘Al Ries’ breezy style, the book summarizes the fundamentals of branding. 22 of them to be specific. Most of the laws given in the book are basic, rudimentary and so fundamental that you know most of them – and forgotten many of them too!
Which is why when you read all of them again - in one go, with lots of examples – you realize how much they make sense and how simple Branding actually is.
22 laws might sound a tad too many but the book is worth giving a try. Here are the 22 laws – with a brief description of each one of them. If it interests you enough, you would go and read the entire book. If not, you still would have got the gist of the book – thanks to this blog!
1. The Law of Expansion: The power of a brand is inversely proportional to its scope.
2. The Law of Contraction: A brand becomes stronger when you narrow its focus.
3. The Law of Publicity: The birth of a brand is achieved with publicity, not advertising.
4. The Law of Advertising: Once born, a brand needs advertising to stay healthy.
5. The Law of the Word: A brand should strive to own a word in the mind of the consumer.
6. The Law of Credentials: The crucial ingredient in the success of any brand is its claim to authenticity.
7. The Law of Quality: Quality is important, but brands are not built by quality alone.
8. The Law of the Category: A leading brand should promote the category, not the brand.
9. The Law of the Name: In the long run a brand is nothing more than a name.
10. The Law of Extensions: The easiest way to destroy a brand is to put its name on everything.
11. The Law of Fellowship: In order to build the category, a brand should welcome other brands.
12. The Law of the Generic: One of the fastest routes to failure is giving a brand a generic name.
13. The Law of the Company: Brands are brands. Companies are companies. There is a difference.
14. The Law of Sub-brands: What branding builds, sub-branding can destroy.
15. The Law of Siblings: There is a time and a place to launch a second brand.
16. The Law of Shape: A brand’s logotype should be designed to fit the eyes. Both eyes.
17. The Law of Colour: A brand should use a colour that is the opposite of its major competitor’s.
18. The Law of Borders: There are no barriers to global branding. A brand should know no borders.
19. The Law of Consistency: A brand is not built overnight. Success is measured in decades, not years.
20. The Law of Change: Brands can be changed, but only infrequently and only very carefully.
21. The Law of Morality: No brand will live forever. Euthanasia is often the best solution.
22. The Law of Singularity: The most important aspect of a brand is its single-mindedness.
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