Upgrading Your Branding Paradigm in 2010!

There is no universally-accepted perspective, or paradigm, of a particular marketing discipline at any given time.

However, one of the newer branding paradigms in 2010 is directed to satisfying a scenario that consumers evidently want to “experience” and “interact” with the brand digitally or in-person rather than just reading or hearing about them. In addition, all of the marketing paradigms demand considerable more attention to brand creativity, innovation, measurement and engagement. Some of the key trends for 2010 under this ever-changing brand paradigm include:

(1) Re-evaluating the cost-effectiveness of current branding strategies: Is the current branding process working?

(2) Re-focusing branding objectives to creating consumer value: Is your brand a true surrogate for value?

(3) Identifying specific branding attributes (i.e. creative, reliable, trust, performance) that drive consumers to continually buy your products or services : Are the brand drivers creating positive perceived value?

(4) Determining the feasibility of “re-branding” select products or services: Is it the right time to re-vamp and re-do the branding process?

(5) Focusing upon Internet search, social media and networking as viable marketing strategies, channels and marketing mindset: Have you effectively integrated Internet-based strategies into your marketing-mix?

(6) Enhancing the consumer engagement process for real-time interaction and feedback: Have you planned for your consumers being able to interact and communicate about the brands before they even come into contact with the actual product or service?

(7) Establish an up-graded measurement process for all of your branding strategies and tactics: Is the ROI for your branding program satisfying your original financial goals and objectives?

(8) Create a marketing plan that zeroes in on enhancing brand awareness, familiarity, preference and loyalty: Do you know the levels of brand recognition, recall and knowledge your consumers possess that can create strong brand relevancy and loyalty?

(9) Related to #3 and #8 above, the ultimate attribute and driver is still brand differentiation: What differentiates and makes your brands unique in the minds of the consumers that adds to the brand’s value or equity?; and

(10) Creating new interactive informational or sampling sources for your brands: For example, research has demonstrated that over 75% of Internet-connected consumers have searched for a brand; watched a commercial; read an organization’s website or blog; or posted product/ service reviews on social network sites before trying the brand. Other research has reported that over 95% of consumers who were able to have a digital experience with the brand made their final purchase decision based upon this interaction. For example, in an airport lobby recently, I sampled the use of the new search engine, Bing, and a free audio book download through free WiFi that convinced me to at least try them later on.