The importance of a strong brand in red oceans
Companies struggle with their brand; they don’t have a strong brand. At the same time, many companies and organizations today wrestle with the question of how best to position themselves and/or their products to occupy a distinct place in a market where it is often increasingly difficult to stand out from its competitors. After all, distinctiveness is crucial to long-term success and not fall into the trap of ever lower prices. And for that it is necessary to make courageous choices in order to dare to occupy one’s own place in highly competitive environments.
The importance of a strong brand as a competitive advantage
One of the important elements a company or organization has at its disposal to make clear to (potential) customers and employees why they should choose the company in question is the development of one or more strong brands with a clear proposition. This can be a corporate brand, an employer brand, product brands or a combination of all of these. By thinking carefully about the right positioning of such a brand, by sharply defining this brand and by communicating about it in a consistent way, you can make clear to all stakeholders what they can expect from your company and why your organization is probably the right choice for them. It makes it easier for you to differentiate yourself from other providers.
Brand consistency and internal alignment in a strong brand
To be sure that you yourself are making the right choices in line with how you as a company want to be seen and known in the marketplace, it helps a lot to strictly define some brand attributes (which are rather descriptive in nature). That way, everyone in your organization can always check off whether their actions and decisions are contributing to strengthening that brand image and certainly not detracting from it. To help you do this, there are lots of different tools and models, all of which have the merit of requiring you to think about the promises you want to make and making your brand proposition explicit.
The role of Brand Key Model for a strong brand
One of the commonly used models is the Brand Key (After all, your brand is the key to open the door to your target audience). This model contains a number of fields that ensure that your brand is defined by a number of parameters. These include the description of your target audience, your potential competitors, the insight on which your proposition is built, the tangible benefits your brand offers to the target audience, the brand personality (what characteristics would your brand have if it were a person), the reasons/evidence that you can deliver on your proposition, and that one distinguishing element in which your brand differs from other brands in the marketplace.
The importance of brand roots and DNA
But the basis of the Brand Key model is formed by the brand’s roots for a reason. Where, when and why was the brand (or company if it is a corporate brand) created? What are some elements of the brand’s history that are important to understanding where it stands today? The knowledge and understanding of these roots are crucial because it is implausible and almost impossible to write down a brand proposition that contradicts the original starting point. A thorough DNA exercise that uncovers these roots is therefore at the heart of any good brand proposition.
A strong brand proposition as a success factor
So a clear, consistent brand proposition will help differentiate your company, organization or product in a red ocean full of sharks. Allowing you to attract the right customers and employees and remain successful in the long run.
Case: Witti Group builds a strong brand
Witti Group, based in Heusden-Zolder, Belgium, has transformed itself from a traditional catering service to a dynamic event management group offering unique and storytelling catering experiences.
Rediscovering their brand DNA with the DNA Discovery approach, they identified core strengths such as exceptional customer service, flexibility, and a passion for culinary innovation. This insight led to the strategic application of the Brand Key model, with which they successfully repositioned themselves in a saturated market.
Witti Group now offers comprehensive event services that go beyond standard catering. They host events at exclusive venues such as Villa Black Gold, an Art Deco villa, and Watt17, a former power plant transformed into an event space.
Their strategic approach has not only improved their market position, but also increased customer satisfaction and loyalty, resulting in significant growth.
