# Book review: Kellogg on Branding in a Hyper-connected World
- URL: https://www.petrikajander.com/kellogg-on-branding/
- Author: Petri Kajander
- Date: 2019-08-25
- Language: en

Not all the names are the same. Some of
them are brands. The difference is that only the latter have associations
related to it. They can be positive, negative or mixed and they are the sum of
all the things we think when hearing or seeing a brand.

Brands shape perceptions. They set
expectations and give different meanings to their targets. A good quality brand
sets the bar higher and may also yield more good will than a low-cost brand.

Marketing is full of lists and branding is
no exception. Three challenges of branding are cash, consistency and clutter.

Cash is king in the short-term but the
brand is a long-term asset. These two objectives are not always aligned and
often the short-term results win at the cost of the overall brand image.

Branding down loop is an example of this
where short-term financial objectives have negative consequences either by
competitor actions or shifted consumer price expectations.

Consistency is a similar pitfall if the
organisation does not believe in, own or understand the brand. How to ensure
that every encounter with the brand is in sync through out the organisation in
real-time?

Creativity and tactical excellence are ways
to cut through the clutter and make the brand stand out among thousands of
messages we receive every day.

Brand positioning strategy consists of four
different components: a target, a frame of reference, a point of difference and
a reason to believe. A brand positioning sets the brand in respect to other
brands in the market. A brand purpose gives the reason why the brand exists. A
brand positioning is the foundation for all brand-building activities.

Revenue growth seems to go hand-in-hand with brands that link all their activities to purpose. Strong purpose helps also in recruitment and employee engagement. It might not be a far-fetched idea to start to consider standards and reporting for a purpose audit in addition to the financial one in the future.

Pioneering has a high mortality rate. But
the last 30 years of research shows that successful pioneers outsell later
entrants across industries: the second entrant has in average 71 per cent and
the third 58 per cent of the pioneer’s market share.

Market research shows that consumers
systematically prefer pioneers, and this forces later entrants to spend more on
differentiation or charge less in order to counter-balance the pioneer’s edge.

The first comer has the advantage of
defining the category and benefits for the consumer. These stay over time and
the positive attributes are associated with the brand the consumer learned
about them first. A deeper learning curve and novelty drive concrete benefits
for the pioneer. Later entrants need to adjust and respond to the pioneer’s
definitions and expectations.

Fast copycatting can prevent the pioneer
become an established and dominant player in the market. They also grow the
fastest in the market compared to other players either earlier or later
entering the market.

Brilliant strategies often stumble on
implementation. Execution is a team effort across the organisation and involves
many people. It’s less glamorous and therefore less credited as well as
researched than strategy formulation.

The book consists of independent articles
organised under different themes. The structure gives an updated overview to
the topic.

The variety and quality of the content
varies by the author but overall it’s a topical tome that can benefit both
startup and established brand builders and managers alike as the above examples
demonstrate.