Naming and Branding
All successful businesses must position their brand or product in the market in a manner that differentiates it from others. This is a key way in which businesses compete. Brands and branding have become a key marketing tool in an age of advertising clutter in the market place and little time in which to decide which product to trust and purchase. Brands supply the ‘emotional connect’ with the benefits the product offers to the consumer.
Regional branding has also become an important part of branding, giving even greater credibility to a product brand that might otherwise have little meaning to the consumer. Food Barossa is an excellent example of how businesses are building on a regional brand which enshrines traditional regional food values in a recognisable logo, underpinned by a comprehensive quality and integrity framework.
Understanding your competitors and then doing something with this knowledge is also important, as no product is sold in a vacuum. It is important even for microbusinesses to invest time and money into branding and understanding their competition and their consumers as a way of developing a successful business.
Brands and products can be positioned
- By specific product attributes—i.e. health benefits, flavour
- By usage occasions—i.e. summer, celebrations, everyday
- By classes of users—i.e. children, sport orientated, low carbohydrate diet
- Directly against a competitor—head to head
- Directly away from competitors—e.g. emphasising the direct differences
To develop the brand or product’s own position in the market place, the business must develop a group of competitive advantages that are unique.
Naming
To develop a name, you first need to review your product or service, its benefits, the needs of the target market and the manner in which you plan to market the product. The name must:
- suggest something of the products benefits and qualities
- it must be easy to say, recognise and remember
- it must be distinctive
- it must be in a style that fits the target market
- if possible it should be translatable into other languages
- it must be legally defensible (ie trademark)
If you have an existing brand, have a range of business associates (suppliers, sellers, customers) give you three words that describe your product. Often those outside the business will see it quite differently. You may be inspired by their comments! Or you may realise that what the outside sees is quite different from how you wish the business to be seen. You may choose to:
- Go with how the outside sees your product.
- Change the way in which you market the product so it better reflects your values.
Branding
A brand is a name, a symbol and a perception applied to a product or service in a manner that adds value to the product. Branding is the management of the business reputation so that the opinion people have of the business is positive and memorable.
A good brand will help you to:
- Define how your target market benefits from using your product or service
- Define how the product is different from the competition - branding is not only about what you do, it is about what you do differently from your competition
- Promote a clear message about the difference to the target market
It can also help define any points of difference you may have with your competitors, such as regional, environmental, niche or gourmet.
What is regional branding?
Regional branding recognises what is unique to your region. This uniqueness varies from region to region; it may be the:
- History (Barossa Valley)
- Geographical location (Fleurieu Peninsula)
- Climate (Margaret River)
- Type of people who live there (Byron Bay)
- Quality of produce (Yarra Valley)
By linking the regional brand with what makes the region unique, it defines what is different about the region and makes the region stand out from others.
If regional branding is done well it means that your region will be noticed and remembered by your customers.
Why link your brand with a regional brand ?
- Product differentiation based on regional branding works
- Regional identity is one of the few authentic differences between products
- Cooperation is essential – business-business, government-business, government-business-community
- Regional branding is not easy - it takes time, flexibility, cooperation, capital and belief by producers in their own values
Brands can be thought of in hierarchies that help give meaning to the overall brand:
- Your brand
- Regional brand
- State brand
- National brand
Regional Food Groups and Networks
By linking with your regional brand you may be able to add a further dimension to your own brand. In South Australia there are regional food groups and regional wine industry associations who are working with regional tourism authorities to develop regional brands.
The “Green” industry
The green movement has created a new niche market of consumers who are highly concerned about the environment and are willing to do and spend more to be environmentally friendly. Green consumers are those who consistently and primarily discriminate product purchases in favour of the environment – and if this is your point of difference – your branding needs to reflect your green credentials.
The ‘green’ industry is estimated to be worth, on average, over AUD$500 billion on a global scale annually. Driving growth of the ‘green’ movement across the globe are a number of factors, including global and local government initiatives, Non-Government Organisation (NGO) initiatives, company initiatives, as well as the influence of the media.
It is estimated that four million Australian adults now buy products with a health or sustainability benefit, and that environmental, social and community benefits are also considered when making product choices.
Want more information?
Once you have assessed your needs, you will have a clearer idea on how to position and differentiate your product, brand and business against the competition. The 4Ps - product, price, place and promotion will assist you to get your message across. Each of them signals something important to the market. Visit marketing plans for more.
Price, in particular, is a key signal. Too low a price will signal that your product is lower quality, or that you are desperate for a sale. Analyse your marketplace by visiting supermarkets and other retailers, checking pricelists on the internet, and talking to distributors. Identify the key price points, the competitors selling at those price points, and their important 4P attributes. Visit pricing for more.
Now identify where you fit in the market structure. This will help you set your price, or adjust your product image.
How has the SA Food Centre helped others?
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Who can I contact?
The SA Food Centre is able to help your food business with naming and branding. we can provide advice and assess your business needs.
- Page last modified: November 15, 2011, 5:53 pm
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