In brand building small things can have a big impact. A previous post outlined how achieving superior brand communications is often “a game of inches”. This post looks at identifying which details of what a brand does that makes the most difference to its success. Too many moments of truth Attention to detail is by … Continue reading
Apple is one the strongest brands on the planet. But over the past two years it has been increasingly tested by direct attacks from competitor advertising in its home market of the United States. This post outlines what’s been happening and Apple’s response to it. A (very) short history of Apple’s brand communications To put … Continue reading
The advent of digital media and changes in consumer expectations mean that brands now have to think in terms of the story they want to tell rather than just positioning themselves. This post examines the shift from positioning to story, provides an overview of brand storytelling, and exemplifies this through looking at how the Scotch … Continue reading
The 2012 post Can the Commonwealth Bank’s “Can” beat the other big four banks reviewed the authenticity of the brand promises of the major banks. This made the case that Commbank’s superior technical systems could allow it to credibly build its “Can” positioning to stake out brand leadership amongst the big four. As outlined in … Continue reading
According to Roy Morgan’s February 2013 Consumer Banking in Australia Customer Satisfaction Report, the Commonwealth Bank – for the first time since April 2000 – attained the highest customer satisfaction rating of the big four banks. This achievement adds further support to the case made previously on this blog that the authenticity of its “Can” … Continue reading
The post Why brand authenticity is critical for customer satisfaction outlined the perspective that customer satisfaction is a product of brand authenticity. That is, if what a brand has and does clearly supports and lives up to its brand promise then its customers are more likely to be satisfied. This post explores the validity of … Continue reading
If customer satisfaction is about meeting or exceeding expectations, then why do so many companies measure satisfaction without considering what they are actually promising their customers? This post draws on recent observations by Simon Wood, Head of Stakeholder Management Research for TNS UK, to explore the relationship between brand authenticity and customer satisfaction. There are … Continue reading
Despite its questionable launch strategy the Commonwealth Bank’s new “Can” brand positioning may have the ability to stake out a real point of difference that will leave its competitors behind. Australia’s ‘big four’ banks have traditionally been perceived by consumers as a largely undifferentiated group of institutions. A group that has also be seen as … Continue reading
Over the past decade businesses that compete in the mass middle market of their industries have seen increasing pressure on sales and margins. ‘Death in the middle’ as it has been called has been caused by competitors taking either value positions or premium positions. This has shrunk the space in the middle and made the … Continue reading
As part of what some commentators are calling the biggest reinvention in the history of US retailing, JC Penney – a century old US mid-market department store chain – is challenging some of the fundamentals of mass market retailing. A bold move that could ultimately change some of the basic rules of the industry. Targeting … Continue reading
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