When You Have a Good Product, but It’s Failing, You May Need a Brand Strategy

How Can You Know What’s Wrong?

First, you need to make sure you have a clear vision of what you offer. Of course, who can know your product (or service) better? Well, in some cases, the answer is not the obvious one.

Let’s say you have an innovative product, created starting from a need you identified as unresponded to. Most of the time, the need fits your consumer profile and your expectations.

You got so excited about finding a solution, that you assume everybody will have the same level of enthusiasm. This assumption is the first step to failure, as it usually leads to miscommunication about the extra value that your innovation offers. You will say: well, it’s obvious! But most of the time it’s not.

The Essentials of Communicating Your Product

What you need to do is write down things like:

• everything you know about your product.
• what you want to accomplish (the mission and vision).
• your brand values.
• your brand attributes and how they transform into benefits for your customers.
• the reasons you give your customers to believe that they will actually get those benefits.

Do you know what your competition offers and how they communicate? Write it down. If you don’t, then find out and write it down.

This will generate insights and strategic messages for you to apply later in your communication.

The Secret: Know Your Audience

Let’s get down to the customers. Find out who they are, and what are their needs, then link those needs to the benefits offered by your product. For the same product, even for the same type of consumer, needs may differ based on the moment the person is in.

For example, if you are trying to approach a customer that has already declared the intention to buy, you will communicate a strategic message that sets you apart from other brands, an USP. If you are trying to win over new customers from a cold market, you can do that by letting them know why they need your products in the first place or by communicating emotional benefits.

“One of the most common mistakes I ran into is that the customers who don’t need the product are ignored. Most of the time, the purchase decision is made before the appearance of the need, but this scenario is usually left out because it doesn’t have the potential to generate immediate revenue.”

”For example, you don’t need to buy a car right now. But if you did, you would already have a list of potential brands you like. Of course, you will do some extra research when the need arises, but the brands that are already on the list have some competitive advantage in your mind, do they? So I say to my clients: let’s find out which customers don’t need your product YET” (Dana Mangu, Head of Strategy and Brand Growth, Codezilla).

Use Your Money Wisely

Of course, the media budget you have for promoting your brand is a key element for your success. If you don’t reach enough of your potential customers, your product won’t grow.

However, if you don't have a consistent budget, don’t get upset just yet. There are a few tricks you can use - based on your brand profile and strategy - that will help you grow organically. It may be a little harder, but if your brand has a strong USP, keeps its brand promise, and you play your cards right, success can be right around the corner.