Recently, the company communicated with a company that wants to launch an innovative product. Before the product was promoted, the management of the company had a concern: as an innovative product, how to face the possible competition. Enterprises have invested heavily in market cultivation, and once they have taken effect, how to prevent the success of the follow-up brand. On this topic, combined with the author's previous "class monopoly" theory, summed up some basic methods and opinions, perhaps inspiring companies with similar problems.
Before entering the discussion of the so-called method, first recite the two words "extracurricular" related to the question.
It is not a bad thing to follow the trend. We should look at the competing products in a longer-term perspective to follow the trend. The potential capacity of the market requires more companies and products to develop. Consumption requires a lot of brands to mature together, and no follow-up may be less optimistic.
What competitors can follow is definitely a tactical approach and an external manifestation. We must understand that the overall strategy of the company cannot be followed. That is to say, a fresh and creative idea will be easily diluted because it is followed by the wind. The prevention of the follow-up needs to rely on the marketing strategy and brand strategy of the enterprise system. Under the strategic unification, various business methods Realize the matching and unification.
There are many ways to prevent follow-up in specific responses, but there is only one way to think about it. It is empathy: If you are a follower, what do you do? What are you worried about? When we know how to follow the trend, we naturally get a way to prevent follow-up.
First, the product is ready to be ready for marketing, establish a follow-up barrier, and block the obvious loopholes.
1. Patent protection
In this regard, the advertising service company may be a layman and dare not say much. Under the background of the current perfection of national laws, the law is effectively utilized, and patents are applied in advance for intellectual property rights, core technologies, and product appearances. Many SMEs do not pay attention to this approach, but innovative companies must pay enough attention. Perhaps one day, the industry is mature, there are many manufacturers, and in addition to occupying a place, you are still the “renter†of the industry that is sweating and protecting.
2. Brand naming and trademark protection
The customary method of the followers is similar in appearance, similar in function, similar in name, and lower in price. Brand naming and trademarks play a large role in consumer identification, and are a simple and important way to circumvent the trend, and should be effectively protected before the product is launched. The simpler level is to register trademarks, naming and approximations of images and names (harmonic, identical meanings, similar shapes and fonts) to build a defensive network.
Another level is the skill and possessivity of naming. The so-called skill means that the brand/product name must at least meet the requirements of strong memory, meaningful, easy to understand, and consistent with the positioning concept. It directly determines whether the brand can be clearly remembered by the customer's mind, such as "Kang Bide" cold medicine, “Shangri-La†wine is very successful in terms of naming. Occupation is more sophisticated, by naming the nature of the category or the consumer's perception of the category, such as: determined to be beautiful • baby Jinshui. In fact, "Baby Jinshui" has been a general term for children's toilet waters before the company's registration. The company directly used it as a product brand, so that similar products can only be sighed. The "anti-electric wall" named by Haier for the electric water heater directly refers to the safety "critical" that consumers pay more attention to, highlighting the core appeal of the brand. Innovative products often have the opportunity to “represent†categories from the outset, and special attention should be paid to the use of great opportunities and spaces in naming.
3. Find a better communication concept and a unique identification method
Many times, companies are too simple to think that there is a good product, a new product, and everyone knows about the advertisement. Everything is waiting for the collection, and this provides space for the followers. You spend money to advertise and educate consumers. I will sell it. Goods interception of interests. Before the listing, we must have a set of systematic planning plans and emergency plans for product positioning, core concepts, brand claims, brand recognition, and advertising ideas. To sum up, on the one hand, the occupation of the brand concept, it is necessary to clearly define the brand's desire to occupy the consumer's mind; the other aspect is the brand's unique identification method, how the brand can make consumers clear memory and performance in advertising performance. Identification, to achieve these two points, followers are no time to drill, difficult to become a large device. Generally speaking, this work should be completed by the marketing department of the enterprise. Most enterprises will also entrust professional advertising service companies (outside brains, think tanks, consultants) to assist in the completion. Today's marketing competition is not only the competition of product competition or advertising costs, but more importantly, the wisdom of enterprise and the competition of using wisdom.
It is not convenient to analyze the classic case in depth here, and to understand it in simple examples.
In terms of communication concept, Wang Laoji’s “fear of getting angry†and Sanjing’s “pure Chinese medicine cure cold†(although Zhulin Zhongsheng/Tailong Pharmaceutical introduced Shuanghuanglian oral liquid earlier, but Sanjing later came to the fore), Dumex “baby’s own Resistance is far from being as simple as a simple slogan. Why is the same brand crisis, Contec (PPA event), KFC chicken (Sudan Red) quickly passed, and Sanlu (melamine), Qinchi (wine blending) became the end? ——The brand lacks the concept of deep-seated people, and more is just a name.
In terms of unique identification, the three-color "blue bottle", the farmer's orchard's "shake before drinking", the new Kang Fengke's "nose red ball", Intel's "å’šå’šå®å’š", etc., although only the performance of advertising Form, but it has become an obvious advertising memory and brand recognition at a certain stage of the product.
4. Prepare to seize the core position
Innovative products may be more focused on segmenting or expanding audiences than traditional products, while the former need to focus on the core groups that can lead product consumption, including core target groups, core markets, and cores. The channels and core communication platforms are collectively referred to as “core positionsâ€. If the brand is not ready to seize this core position, what the followers are more likely to do is to concentrate on grabbing this position and let the innovation you regret. When the core resources are controlled by ourselves, we are not afraid to follow the trend, but are eager to follow suit. I hope that everyone will become a big market together and become a major beneficiary. So we need to be clear early, which are the core positions, and implement the occupation in the next stage.
Second, the product should be explosive in the process of listing, quickly establish a brand, and strictly control the better follow-up period
1. Advertising communication strategy should be scientific and daring to innovate
When we have our own brand planning and good brand performance (product packaging, TVC commercials, graphic design and extension), we will enter the stage of advertising. Remember that advertising is not as simple as spending money on advertising, but also about communication strategies. In addition to basic media analysis, audience behavior analysis, and alternative delivery analysis, the overall itinerary planning and target determination of advertising communication, what kind of media combination, frequency, and innovative methods are used at each stage. An advertising communication strategy must be the perfect combination of "scientific quantification" and "experience wisdom", which is the perfect combination of "theory of law" and "daring innovation."
The formulation of communication strategies for innovative products requires special attention to the explosiveness of the dissemination during the listing period. This period of easy to follow the trend is not to be “gentleâ€. It is necessary to achieve pre-emptiveness before the follow-up brand has responded, and not to fully prepare for the follow-up brand. Naturally, the other party may be exposed to marketing in a hurry.
2, successfully seized the core position
Innovative products must achieve an effective occupation of the core positions within this potentially short period of time. Of course, this is based on the early lock-in of the target, and the other is based on the efficiency of the marketing team.
In terms of simple indicators, it is necessary to see whether the communication has achieved the arrival of the core target audience and have a basic understanding and interest in the brand. Second, whether the sales team quickly realizes the distribution and achievement of the main sales terminals by means of communication. Cooperation with major channels. During this period, it was more taboo than “mobile 耙†(target is not firm) and “slowly†(marketing team execution efficiency is too low).
I have served some companies. Although I have made sufficient preparations in the early stage, I have no confidence in the advertisements due to lack of experience. When the media comes to the door, they will put a little bit of it. As a result, the advertising plan will be changed and the target will be dispersed during the implementation process. The effect was diluted; the sales force of the sales team was too slow, the advertising journey of one band was over, and it was difficult to buy the products in the market, and the result of the innovation was not satisfactory. If you know something about Wang Laoji, Wang Laoji's ability to distribute goods is quite strong. Before the listing and during the period of listing, the products have basically been seen everywhere.
Third, after the product goes on the market, advance with the times, lead the industry
1. Establish brand awareness
Before the followers have not seen a large number of people, the brand is recognized as a "class leader". Perhaps the "brand" of this time is not seen by others, and because of this, it is less difficult to achieve the goal. Putting this as a point, it is a company that proposes innovative products, which has this awareness in the daily "soft communication"; it has this awareness in the elements and strategies of later advertising. Under the premise of not violating the "Advertising Law", it spreads subtly to establish itself as the founder of the industry, technology leader, and market leader. Consumers always agree with and choose brands that have a more "safety" and "historical sense".
2. Suppress competitors, don't let competitors who attempt to surpass them easily succeed
When the market begins to heat up, there will inevitably be some followers with big intentions. They are often prepared and should not be underestimated. The two armies fought, the brave wins, and we must have a certain degree of enthusiasm in the marketing operation and give up the short-term profit, and give the opponent a heavy counterattack.
Recently, there is a 9 Yang Soymilk machine, which has cultivated a small and small category market for many years. With the help of the “milk powder incidentâ€, the company’s competitors want to divide the cup, and in the CCTV tender section, TV, etc. The media is vigorously put into action, strengthening the power in the terminal and blocking it. Another classic case is the suppression of Xiafei and Sophote Children's Jinshui in 2005 by Baby Jinshui: Since 2003, after two years of cultivation and growth, the baby Jinshui innovative products have gained little in the children's toilet water market, through the media and the market. Information collection, the company found that Shanghai Xiafei, Sophos's follow-up products have attempted to rob the market in 2005. The management of the company decided to make a decision and decided to increase the delivery to three times the previous year. It almost gave up all the possible profits of the year. As a result, the two major competitors spent a lot of advertising expenses, but they were expected to be suppressed by the baby. The voice, since then, has withdrawn from the frontal competition, leaving a "longer-term" harvest space for the baby's golden water.
3. Be brave in market education and open up to accept “challengers†to expand the market together.
Many companies feel that their education market is too "loss": they have spent money and everyone is sharing the fruits. Once the innovative product brand is successfully listed, it will inevitably face such a situation. At this time, entrepreneurs need to be treated with a better attitude. Since the potential of the market has not yet been developed, the important source of rapid growth of the company is the enlargement of the cake, rather than continuing to expand its share in existing small cakes that already have a mainstream share. The participation of more participants will help the market mature. As long as they retain the status of the main share, it is naturally a big beneficiary. Since the end of the last century, the market capacity of daily medicines has grown rapidly. Not many people have colds and stomachaches, but the market is mature. Huiren and Zhongjing Relay have fostered the growth of the Liuwei Dihuang Pill market, and the market has also rewarded such enterprises.
4. Moderately subdividing for self-competition
The competition has developed to a certain extent. The innovative brand of the year has gradually become a traditional product. At this time, moderate subdivision and self-competition are important means to maintain leadership. Moderate segmentation refers to the ability to diversify according to market demand, to conduct reasonable product segmentation, to establish independent segment brands or sub-brands; self-competition and internal consumption have completely different essences, based on moderately segmented competition Externally, we can make greater use of enterprise resources and cost advantages, occupy the mainstream share of the category market, and internally can stimulate the team's creativity and challenge.
Procter & Gamble brings shampoo to China, cultivates the market, and competes with different brands through different concepts such as “softâ€, “scrubâ€, “nutrition†and “professionalâ€, firmly occupying the position of the industry leader; in the solar industry Emperor Ming and Yi Jia Neng, Sun Rain and Four Seasons Mu Ge, it is also through different positioning to carry out self-competition within the enterprise. As long as you understand a little, in various industries such as automobiles and pharmaceuticals, there are countless examples. The original innovative brand can stand up to the future, and the self-competition of subdivision is an important magic weapon.
Conclusion: The above ten points on how to face and prevent the follow-up of innovative products in different periods of time, in fact, there is nothing new, and there is no magic bullet. Each of them has a specific implementation professionalism, and the degree of execution is in place. Success is the embodiment of the system's reasonable matching, and it is the integration of details. Rethinking the case of innovative brands becoming “martyrs†is often in a certain part of the above development process and falls into the trap. As a large-scale comprehensive advertising company in China, the joint trend is only to provide advice to enterprises in the strategic direction, and to assist customers to do better in every detail. I believe that with its own wisdom and judgment, the company will be able to successfully respond to the trend, achieve marketing goals, and achieve great cause.
Runda Watch & Jewellery Co., Ltd , http://www.gdsteeljewelry.com