Opening Lines
It's no secret that brand building is hard work. However, after listening to Charles Strauss's keynote speech about brand building at the HBA trade show in New York City, it now seems even harder.
For nearly an hour on September 28, the show's opening day, Strauss, who retired as president and CEO of Unilever United States, and as director of Unilever plc and chairman of its North America Committee, explained in detail how to build a brand. He noted Unilever's success with brands such as Dove, Ponds, and Suave.
One particular comment that Strauss made stood out to me. He said that it is difficult to build a brand if that brand doesn't communicate with consumers. "Brands that survive and prosper are those that are truly differentiated and form an emotional connection with consumers," he said. Strauss went further, saying that it is crucial for a brand to immediately communicate itself to customers as something different and new.
Strauss pointed to the Nike brand as an example of success. He said that Nike was the first athletic shoe company to market the concept of high-tech performance footwear. In addition, Nike ingeniously made an emotional connection with customers with the now-famous phrase, "Just Do It." According to Strauss, since Nike was the first to establish this marketing angle in customers' minds, the company got a toehold in the market that is now difficult for its competitors to shake. Other brands can duplicate this marketing concept, but customers will always remember Nike as being the first to initiate it.
It can be daunting to hear from executives like Strauss that even a conglomerate like Unilever still finds challenges in differentiating its brands. Smaller companies don't have nearly the same capital to work with, yet they, like large firms, must find a way to build a brand and get it recognized.
I can think of one universal tool that both big and small firms have at their disposal—packaging. It's certainly true that larger companies are usually more able to splurge on, for instance, elaborate custom molds. However, creativity and vision are often what make the difference between a mundane and an outstanding package. As we have shown in our magazine, small brands have found resourceful ways to couple a good design with stock packaging, and, in the end, stand out.
If what Strauss says is right, and the first impression is most important, then packaging becomes more important than ever. Million-dollar marketing campaigns aside, when customers look at a beauty product shelf, well-conceived packages are the ones that will catch their eyes. Make sure yours is the one they pick up to purchase.
Jennifer Kwok
Managing Editor