STRONG BRANDS / Building your brand strength for the new generation of online shoppers?

 This is no longer an especially new idea, businesses know that their brands are a factor in consumer decisions, and thus help them to generate future sales. 

By measuring the strength of brands in consumers’ minds, shows that strong brands are more resilient to challenges in the external environment and produce superior shareholder returns over the long-term. 

Marketers are under pressure to move the metrics that are most visible and available right ‘now’ – sales first and foremost, and then from there, readily available response metrics such as enquiries or click-throughs that might suggest movement along the path-to-purchase. What is harder to see is any subtle shift, or positive strengthening, that has been made in the consumer’s mind. A push that might help preventing competitor onslaught to influence a future decision in our favor, possibly long after the marketer approving that spend has moved on. 

To value long-term effects as a valid and desirable outcome from marketing investment, businesses must firstly measure this effect in the mind of consumers. Fortunately, we don’t need to re-invent the wheel here. Extensive research and development breaks down the intangibles of brands into three simple and measurable parts. 

1. Meaning – meeting needs and positive affinity
2. Difference – standing apart from competition in some positive way
3. Noticeable – coming spontaneously to mind in a buying situation 

These component parts can (and should) be looked at individually or combined into a ‘brand power’ metric that is proven to drive long-term sales.

good-luck (Team Digital @ Expertek US)