Stay focused

If you want to be desirable, you need to stay focused. That's one of the lessons to take from a recent study asking British consumers which brands they most desired. (You can read about the survey here). According to the study, one of the attributes of a desirable brand is a simple proposition - clarity about the values they stand for.

It seems simple. But it's a brave step to take. Because to have real clarity of message and offer, you are targeting one sector of the market - and excluding the other.

The example used in the article is Bang & Olufsen (19th on the list). They produce high-end, high quality products... with a high price. That's their positioning, and they don't deviate from it. They focus on quality. And therefore exclude anyone who can't, or won't, pay for that level of quality.

Another example of a very focused (and successful) brand is Apple. They have four (yes, four!) entries in the top 20 (The iPhone, iPod, iTunes, and the Apple brand itself). Different products, but the same values - the same proposition - behind each one: great user experience. That's a customer focused brand. Everything about the Apple brand is focused on the user experience. (We've written about this before).

So take a look at your business. What's your proposition? What do you stand for? What benefit do you give to your clients? If you can focus on the answers to those questions, your customers will focus their attention on you.

If you'd like to know more about those questions - and their answers - you might be interested in our free seminar.