Establishing a company’s values and personality is vital to generate trust and be remembered among customers, both current and potential. Defining the attributes, character, and virtues that brands possess helps them differentiate themselves from the competition and, consequently, create a perception of the brand itself. These are called brand territories, a set of ideas and feelings that users themselves have about a specific brand.
According to Andy Stalman, one of the world’s most renowned brand experts: «A brand is what you are based on what you create, how you live it, and how you communicate it.» The ideal goal would be to achieve Lovemark status, but this requires gradually building engagement. It’s about making the audience feel what you want them to feel.
A brand is what you are based on what you create, how you live it, and how you communicate it. – Andy Stalman
1. Introspection:
The first step is to do an internal and in-depth analysis to understand your own brand. The actions that define the brand, the values that drive it – these are answers that the brand itself knows better than anyone else. It’s essential to realize the territories where you already are or want to reach.
2. Research:
Understanding the territories where the competition operates will help create new strategies and differentiation approaches. This will solidify and create new ways to reach consumers and also help define or expand your own field.
3. Confirmation:
After completing the introspection and research, it’s now time to define your own space. With all the information gathered, you need to gradually outline the area where both the competition’s territory and the one you want to reach coexist, but always ensuring yours stands out.
4. Selection:
From all the possible territories, you should choose at most three. Trying to cover too many will make it impossible to reach everyone, while sticking to only one in many cases will allow other brands to easily outshine yours. Selecting three territories will determine the overall strategy’s direction.
5. Action:
With all the gathered information and the selected territories, it’s time to get to work. Adapting to customer needs, creating campaigns to attract specific consumers, designing optimal strategies – these factors will be determined by all the previous steps. It’s time to act and strengthen the brand territories.
Big brands already have their well-established territories, and each conveys different feelings to consumers. Even if two brands essentially sell very similar products, each is remembered differently by its audience. In the technology sector, for example, Apple conveys exclusivity, innovation, and privacy, while Xiaomi focuses on being accessible, affordable, and of quality. In Spain, different brands have established their own territories, differentiating themselves from their closest competitors.
Through this tool, it is possible to assess your brand’s level of notoriety to understand where your brand stands in the consumer’s mind. It helps you compare your brand’s image in the market with your competition, identify areas for improvement, and discover the differentiating characteristics of your brand. With Brand Research, you can identify the attributes and benefits that consumers value most in your brand or product. This study provides clear results to help you create or improve your distinctive brand territory.
To achieve effective branding, it is essential to establish brand territories that align with the products and services offered. These territories will also serve as the basis for communication, determining how information is conveyed to both consumers and employees. What is said, how it is said, when it is said – all of these aspects are closely related to the company’s values and personality.
Each individual perceives brands in their own way. However, defining and working on brand territories helps many individuals perceive them in a very similar way, making an entire group perceive a brand as intended.
Update date 12 April, 2024Establishing brand territories that align with the products and services offered is essential for effective branding.
