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52 PCB007 MAGAZINE I FEBRUARY 2019 Feature by Barry Matties I-CONNECT007 Editor's note: This is an excerpt from Read Threads: SMART Marketing (Strategic, Measur- able, Aligned, Relevant, Timely Marketing Wis- dom). The Power of Branding Oftentimes, marketers expect more from their branding ads than they should. These are usually the short-term marketers. The one question they ask is, "How many clicks did my (branding) ad get?" When they hear the results— typically a low number—the usual response is, "Advertising doesn't work." Smart advertising absolutely works. We see examples of that everywhere. Smart advertising is strate- gic, thoughtful, and takes time. Branding is about creating awareness about your company and/or product in a way that differentiates your presence in the market- place. Short-term thinking and expectations should not be applied here. This is an ongo- ing, long-term process. Creating a strong com- pany brand increases the value of your prod- uct, thereby allowing you to charge more for it, which pays for marketing and increases your profits. We experience the power of branding in su- permarkets all the time. Generic brands are usually perceived to be lower quality. Leading brands are the ones we think of as the best quality, the leaders, the ones we pay more for. Ironically, generic brands have their own branding success: they're cheap. You expect to pay less. That's their branding. So how do we measure branding? Branding is measured not in the short-term, but over years of dedication to building a brand. For ex- ample, if I ask you to name a fast food restau- rant, you are most likely to say McDonald's, even if you don't eat there. They have owned that space for many years yet continue to ad- vertise every day. The quickest way to own a brand in the mar- ketplace is to find an opening where a name brand doesn't already exist. Here's a great ex- SMART Marketing