The Name's Not Important: Anti-brand strategies for the information age A Presentation by Dr. Mathai Baker Fenn, The Talkshop

A Presentation by

Dr. Mathai Baker Fenn,

The Talkshop

A crisis of confidence Decades of advertising that over-promised and under-delivered Owners (shareholders) of business firms are not the one's making decisions Most of the shares belong to Financial Institutions and ultimately, small investors, who rarely look beyond short term financial gain Entry barriers make it difficult for small players to enter the market Customers will trust a known person more than an unknown company

Decades of advertising that over-promised and under-delivered

Owners (shareholders) of business firms are not the one's making decisions

Most of the shares belong to Financial Institutions and ultimately, small investors, who rarely look beyond short term financial gain

Entry barriers make it difficult for small players to enter the market

Customers will trust a known person more than an unknown company

The Result.. Cost of advertising creates entry barriers for small players Many small scale / cottage industries in India make soap. But customers are worried if its safe to use. The big players use large advertising spends to differentiate themselves. Yet soap that is safe to use is not hard to make. Customers unwilling to pay more for a premium brand – Product Parity Social activism against big brands and advertisements (eg: http://www.adbusters.org/ )

Cost of advertising creates entry barriers for small players

Many small scale / cottage industries in India make soap. But customers are worried if its safe to use. The big players use large advertising spends to differentiate themselves. Yet soap that is safe to use is not hard to make.

Customers unwilling to pay more for a premium brand – Product Parity

Social activism against big brands and advertisements (eg: http://www.adbusters.org/ )

What is anti-brand strategy? The brand is a word/symbol that stands for the product in the mind of the consumer Anti-brand strategies focus attention on the product and direct product experience, rather than on the symbol that stands for the brand. Products and services will always have symbolic value, but in an anti-brand strategy, the product comes first and the symbolic elements come next. Using the product experience, the anti-brand strategy lets “ the experience be the guide” .

The brand is a word/symbol that stands for the product in the mind of the consumer

Anti-brand strategies focus attention on the product and direct product experience, rather than on the symbol that stands for the brand.

Products and services will always have symbolic value, but in an anti-brand strategy, the product comes first and the symbolic elements come next.

Using the product experience, the anti-brand strategy lets “ the experience be the guide” .

Who is it for? Small entrepreneurs with limited advertising budget High involvement purchases where the customer would like to experience before he actually buys Brands and even product categories where there is already a lot of mistrust between the buyer and the seller Companies who would like a closer relationship with their customers

Small entrepreneurs with limited advertising budget

High involvement purchases where the customer would like to experience before he actually buys

Brands and even product categories where there is already a lot of mistrust between the buyer and the seller

Companies who would like a closer relationship with their customers

What does it involve? Close contact with the customer. Try before you buy models (eg: trial versions, shareware, etc.) Invite customers for plant visits, to meet the manufacturers / designers face to face, or through blogs, open house meets, etc. Co-creation of products where customers provide guidance as the product is shaping up (eg: Open Source) Encourage “customer communities”, where customers share experiences, educate each other and find new uses and modifications for the product

Close contact with the customer.

Try before you buy models (eg: trial versions, shareware, etc.)

Invite customers for plant visits, to meet the manufacturers / designers face to face, or through blogs, open house meets, etc.

Co-creation of products where customers provide guidance as the product is shaping up (eg: Open Source)

Encourage “customer communities”, where customers share experiences, educate each other and find new uses and modifications for the product

Caveat Not all products are easy to experience (eg: tourism of a foreign land, or a product yet to be launched, or expensive products) Endorsement / Recommendation from a credible source . Trust in the people behind the product Experience part of it Free samples & promotions which invite customers to experience

Not all products are easy to experience (eg: tourism of a foreign land, or a product yet to be launched, or expensive products)

Endorsement / Recommendation from a credible source .

Trust in the people behind the product

Experience part of it

Free samples & promotions which invite customers to experience

Paradigm shift Customer relationship is more important than the individual sale – Relationship Marketing The customer is your ally not your enemy – transparency about successes and shortcomings Not all customers will have equally nice things to say – listen to unhappy customers, but know that you can never make everyone happy. Bring customers close. Visit your plant, your office, put as much of the internal workings in public for those who want to go through them.

Customer relationship is more important than the individual sale – Relationship Marketing

The customer is your ally not your enemy – transparency about successes and shortcomings

Not all customers will have equally nice things to say – listen to unhappy customers, but know that you can never make everyone happy.

Bring customers close. Visit your plant, your office, put as much of the internal workings in public for those who want to go through them.

For more information http://www.thenamesnotimportant.com/ mathai (at) thetalkshop (dot) in

http://www.thenamesnotimportant.com/

mathai (at) thetalkshop (dot) in